Orange Walk Approved on Edinburgh Royal Mile 2026

Key Points

• An Orange walk involving multiple loyalist flute bands is set to go ahead in Edinburgh city centre this summer, with the Royal Mile forming a key part of the route.
• Edinburgh councillors considered and approved a notification for an Orange walk at a recent licensing meeting, with the event scheduled to take place in late June.
• According to Local Democracy Reporter Joe Sullivan of Midlothian View, councillors approved an Orange walk involving Dumbarton’s Pride of the Rock flute band, which has previously celebrated UVF terrorist William “Big Bill” Campbell in social media posts.
• The walk is expected to involve around 38 bands and up to 300 participants, with the procession route including Edinburgh’s historic Royal Mile.
• The City of Edinburgh Council has limited legal grounds to restrict or ban such processions, and faces the possibility of legal challenge if it refuses permission.
• Public safety and Police Scotland licensing officials did not lodge formal objections to the proposed march, and no additional policing resources were deemed necessary based on current intelligence.​
• Campaigners and community members have raised concerns about sectarianism, potential glorification of terrorism, and the impact on residents and visitors along the Royal Mile.
• The Pride of the Rock flute band has in the past praised William “Big Bill” Campbell, who has been linked in media reports to UVF bomb attacks, including fatal bombings in Belfast and Glasgow.
• Previous Orange marches in Edinburgh have drawn controversy over traffic disruption and public order concerns, particularly when large numbers of bands and followers travel through the city centre.
• Council licensing reports emphasise that processions can only be restricted where there is a demonstrable risk of public disorder, public safety issues, damage to property or excessive disruption to community life.
• Online discussion forums and social media posts from Edinburgh residents have expressed anger and frustration at the decision, questioning why a band with this background is being allowed to march through the capital.
• The event will take place against the backdrop of Edinburgh’s busy summer period, potentially affecting businesses, tourism and everyday activity on and around the Royal Mile.
• The walk follows a broader pattern of Orange marches across Scotland which regularly spark debate over freedom of assembly, sectarian tensions and the limits of local authorities’ powers.

Herald Scotland (Edinburgh Daily News) March 7, 2026 – An Orange walk involving dozens of loyalist flute bands and up to 300 marchers is set to proceed along Edinburgh’s Royal Mile this summer after councillors approved a notification for the controversial procession at a recent licensing meeting.

Why has the Orange walk on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile been approved?

As reported by Local Democracy Reporter Joe Sullivan of Midlothian View, councillors on the City of Edinburgh Council’s licensing committee approved a notification for an Orange walk which will see up to 38 bands take part in a procession through the city, including the Royal Mile, later in June. Sullivan wrote that the approval followed consideration of the proposed event at a licensing meeting held at Edinburgh City Chambers, where elected members examined the application and any representations received.​

According to Sullivan’s report for Midlothian View, councillors were advised that their powers to refuse such a march were narrow, with any restriction requiring clear evidence of likely public disorder, risks to public safety, damage to property or excessive disruption to community life. A City of Edinburgh Council guidance document on licensing applications similarly notes that processions and other licensed activities can only be curtailed within defined legal parameters, and that complex or controversial applications are usually referred to a licensing sub‑committee, with decisions potentially taking several months.

What is planned for the Orange walk event this summer?

Yahoo News UK reported that during a Tuesday licensing meeting, Edinburgh councillors considered an application for an event on 27 June, with plans for the parade to use the High Street section of the Royal Mile as part of its route through the city centre. The report said the march is expected to involve a “300‑strong” contingent, encompassing members of a number of loyalist flute bands and supporters, who will process through central Edinburgh.​

In his article for Midlothian View, Joe Sullivan stated that the event approved by councillors includes Dumbarton’s Pride of the Rock flute band and forms part of a wider Orange walk that will involve 38 bands taking part. Earlier coverage of Orange marches in the capital, including a 2022 STV News report on a large procession to mark Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee, highlighted that such events can involve dozens of bands and substantial numbers of marchers, with routes that commonly feature the Royal Mile as a focal point.

Who is Dumbarton’s Pride of the Rock flute band and why is it controversial?

As reported by Joe Sullivan for Midlothian View, the approved Orange walk includes Dumbarton’s Pride of the Rock flute band, which has come under scrutiny for previously celebrating William “Big Bill” Campbell, a UVF terrorist, in social media content. Sullivan wrote that the band has on several occasions paid tribute to Campbell, including in a Facebook post from February 2024 that was later deleted.​

An article on The Democraton, cited in broader media discussion of loyalist bands, described Campbell as a notorious UVF figure linked to bomb attacks in Belfast and Glasgow, including incidents in which multiple people were killed. According to that report, praise for Campbell by loyalist bands was among the considerations referenced in a legal dispute over an Orange parade in Stonehaven, which was ultimately refused permission following court proceedings. Separate social‑media‑based reporting, including posts highlighted by Edinburgh Live’s coverage, has also pointed to material in which Pride of the Rock is said to have honoured Campbell, who has been associated in media reports with a bombing of a Catholic‑owned pub in Glasgow and the McGurk’s Bar attack in Belfast.

What legal constraints do councillors face over Orange walks?

In his Midlothian View piece, Joe Sullivan explained that Edinburgh councillors have “narrow grounds” on which they can refuse to permit a demonstration such as an Orange walk and face the risk of legal action if they choose to block an event without clear justification. Sullivan reported that under the framework governing processions, any decision to refuse or significantly restrict a march must be grounded in considerations such as the likelihood of public disorder, threats to public safety, potential damage to property or excessive disruption to normal community life.

General licensing information published by the City of Edinburgh Council notes that complex or contested applications, where objections or representations are received, are referred to a licensing sub‑committee and can take several months to process, underscoring the formal procedures involved. The council’s reports on processions stress that the authority must balance rights to freedom of peaceful assembly, which are recognised in Scots law and human rights legislation, against any identified risks, and must be able to demonstrate clear reasoning if it chooses to impose restrictions or refusals.

What have police and safety officials said about the march?

Joe Sullivan reported for Midlothian View that public safety representatives and policing officials did not object to the march going ahead in Edinburgh. Sullivan noted that, in the absence of objections from Police Scotland’s licensing or public order teams, councillors were presented with no formal recommendation to restrict or refuse the procession on safety grounds.​

Earlier coverage of Orange marches in Edinburgh, including a 2022 report by STV News on a major Jubilee‑related Orange procession, quoted Police Scotland representatives as saying at the time that there was no intelligence suggesting the need for additional security measures beyond standard arrangements, while nonetheless acknowledging the potential for traffic disruption and the need to manage crowds. Licensing reports to the City of Edinburgh Council typically include Police Scotland’s assessment of likely resource demands and risks, and in this case officials did not seek to prevent the event, which weighed in favour of approval.

How have local residents and campaigners reacted?

Online reaction from Edinburgh residents and wider Scottish audiences has been critical of the decision to allow the Pride of the Rock flute band to march through the capital, given its documented praise for William “Big Bill” Campbell. A widely discussed thread on the r/Edinburgh forum on Reddit saw users questioning “how they keep getting away with this”, with contributors expressing concern about sectarianism and asking why a band from Dumbarton that has “spew[ed] hate” should be permitted to march through Edinburgh’s streets.

Social media posts highlighted by Edinburgh‑focused outlets have also resurfaced earlier tributes by Pride of the Rock to Campbell, who media reports have linked to fatal UVF bombings in Northern Ireland and Scotland, fuelling criticism of the council’s decision. Broader Scottish discussion on platforms such as r/Scotland has previously focused on the scale and frequency of Orange walks across the country, with Reddit users pointing to petitions, thousands of signatures and numerous formal objections lodged with councils in attempts to halt or restrict marches seen as “deeply rooted in sectarianism”.

What is the wider context of Orange walks in Edinburgh and Scotland?

STV News reported in 2022 that a large Orange march featuring around 35 bands was approved in Edinburgh to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee, marking one of the first Orange walks in the city since before the pandemic and again using the Royal Mile as a central part of the route. That procession, organised by the Loyal Orange Institution of Scotland, prompted discussion over traffic disruption and the impact of extensive roadworks, with council members raising concerns about potential “seizing up” of the city centre.​

A separate STV News report cited a representative of the Grand Orange Lodge of Scotland stressing the organisation’s long history of processions in Edinburgh, dating back to 1902, and asserting a democratic right to freedom of peaceful public assembly under Scots law and human rights conventions, even where events cause inconvenience. At the national level, online forums and regional news coverage have highlighted that more than 100 Orange walks can take place across Scotland on a single day during peak marching season, underlining how frequently councils and communities grapple with questions around sectarianism, public order and rights of assembly.

What impact could the Royal Mile Orange walk have on Edinburgh this summer?

Yahoo News UK reported that the planned “300‑strong” Orange march on 27 June will see participants move along the High Street on the Royal Mile, one of Edinburgh’s busiest thoroughfares and a focal point for tourism, hospitality and civic life. Given the city’s already crowded summer calendar, businesses and residents along the route are likely to experience temporary disruption as streets are closed or partially restricted to accommodate the procession and associated policing.

Past experience, described in STV News’ 2022 coverage of the Jubilee Orange march, suggests that such events can cause significant congestion, particularly when combined with major roadworks or restrictions on arterial routes such as North Bridge. While councillors and organisers have previously discussed mitigation measures to limit traffic problems, the scale of a multi‑band procession on the Royal Mile means that some disruption is inevitable, even as authorities reiterate that marches of this nature fall within legally protected freedoms of peaceful assembly.