Grand Orange Lodge of Scotland

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Grand Orange Lodge of Scotland

An Orange march at Larkhall, South Lanarkshire, Scotland in 2008
Formation	1798
Legal status	Religious brotherhood
Purpose	To promote Protestantism and unionism[1]
Headquarters	Olympia House, 13 Olympia Street, Bridgeton Glasgow, Scotland G40 3TA
Coordinates	55°50′56″N 4°13′37″W / 55.849°N 4.227°W / 55.849; -4.227
Region served	Scotland
Membership (2023)	15,000
Main organ	Trustees, Senior Officer Bearers[2]
Parent organisation	Orange Institution
Website	www.orangeorderscotland.com

The Grand Orange Lodge of Scotland, or Loyal Orange Institution of Scotland, Orange Order in Scotland, The Orange Order is the oldest and biggest Protestant fraternity in Scotland. The Loyal Orange Institution was an official participant in the 2014 independence referendum. Its headquarters are in Motherwell, having previously been in Bridgeton, Glasgow with 15,000 members in the Scottish Lowlands.^[3]

The Orange Order was formed in Ulster in 1795 by Ulster Protestants, many of whom had Scottish roots. It was brought to Scotland in 1798 by soldiers returning from service in Ulster, and its membership was soon swelled by large numbers of Ulster Protestant immigrants. As such, the Scottish branch has strong links with Northern Ireland and Ulster unionism/loyalism. During the Troubles, lodges were accused of having links with loyalist paramilitaries.

The Order is best known for its yearly marches, the biggest of which are held on and around 12 July ('The Twelfth').^[4]