Orange Order banned from Stonehaven parade, sheriff rules

A sheriff has made his “final” ruling on an Orange Order appeal against an Aberdeenshire Council decision to stop the march from taking place tomorrow (Saturday).

An Orange Order parade will not go ahead in Stonehaven tomorrow after a sheriff backed a council decision to stop the event.

Aberdeenshire Council’s decision to ban the parade was backed by Sheriff Miller after lengthy deliberations at an appeal hearing at Aberdeen Sheriff Court on Friday.

Despite the ban on the walk, the Orange Order will continue to open a branch in Stonehaven, including laying a wreath.

Members of the Orange Order take part in the traditional annual Battle of the Boyne celebrations. Picture: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images

More than 200 members of the Orange Order planned to march from Stonehaven Town Hall to Dunnottar Church to celebrate the opening of a new lodge in the town.

Speaking outside court, an Orange Lodge spokesman told the BBC the decision represented a "sad day for Scottish and civil liberties". The spokesman confirmed members would not unofficially march following the ruling.

A statement from the Lodge said: "Regrettably, it appears that the threat of violence and intimidation won the day over human rights and civil liberties. Throughout Scotland, and further afield, there will be many who will be aghast at this undemocratic decision taken by the courts on this dark day for Scotland's civil liberties.

"In this recent campaign in Stonehaven, it was blatantly obvious that extreme Nationalist and Republican elements were at work, evident by the copy and paste comments in the objections to the council.

"This strategy, we contend, is a slippery slope on determining who can or cannot legally demonstrate dependent on their detractor's 'muscle', and becomes even more abhorrent when the courts agree with it in this blatant act of appeasement."

Plans for the parade were met with stiff resistance in the town, with the application rejected by councillors on the grounds of undue strain on police and public unease over the procession. More than 10,000 people signed a petition against the event.

The town’s RNLI branch declined a donation of £850 from the Dumbarton group. Several bars and businesses said they would close for part of the day if the march went ahead.

Ahead of the hearing, Councillor Wendy Agnew, said: "We are just not a town that is used to flutes.”

Her motion to Kincardine and Mearns Area Committee to prohibit the parade was unanimously supported by members.

Cllr Agnew said: “I have never in my time as a councillor had so much anxiety in the town. We are a town that embraces all religion and we are not bigoted in any way. To me, they [the Orange Order] are sectarian.

"It is not fair on peaceful people in Stonehaven of all religions and all denominations. This is just not Stonehaven’s way.”

Ahead of the meeting, the Orange Order rejected a suggested condition the march should not play music within 100m either side of a place of worship on the route from Stonehaven Town Hall and Dunnottar Cemetery.

It also claimed a police request that it should apply for a temporary traffic regulation order went against article 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which sets out the right to peaceful assembly. The new Stonehaven lodge will have around 40 members, according to reports.