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Orange marchers turn out in force for peaceful Edinburgh parade

More than 12,000 marchers took to the streets as Edinburgh's largest Orange Lodge parade for 50 years passed off peacefully.

Participants from across Scotland, Northern Ireland and England paraded through the Capital on Saturday to celebrate the 300-year anniversary of the Union with England.

Around 160 buses waited beneath Calton Hill to take the marchers home following the three-hour event. Only 5000 members were originally expected to turn out for the parade, but organisers were told in recent weeks about a surge in support which they hoped would double that figure.

However, Scotland's senior Orangeman said after the event that the final numbers had surpassed even those expectations.

The Grand Master of the Grand Orange lodge of Scotland, Ian Wilson, said after the parade: "We were overwhelmed by the number of members who wanted to come to our historic capital to show their support for the Union.

After the event, police said it had been carried off peacefully.

A spokesman said: "The Orange march on Saturday passed off peacefully with no incidents. We were not called upon to make any arrests or deal with any trouble along the route."

Full story at the Edinburgh Evening News.