Welcome to the Official Website for
COURT of the DEACONS of the ANCIENT and ROYAL BURGH of LINLITHGOW
Scottish Charity No SC 044893
Linlithgow Marches 2021
The Deacons Court has continued to monitor the Scottish Governments guidance throughout the last year in the hope of being able to re-open some of our diary of events in 2021 on the lead up to Marches Day.
The Deacons Court met via Zoom on Tuesday, 02 February 2021 and discussed The Riding of Linlithgow Marches 2021.
Everyone present at the meeting recognised the difficulties the people of Linlithgow have been faced with over the last year and that the health and wellbeing of the community continues to be paramount at this time.
It is anticipated that the Scottish Governments Strategic Framework setting out the 5 level protection tiers will continue throughout 2021, which means any council will need to be in tier 0 or 1 to be able to hold an event but even then there will be controls required around the format and the number of people attending. The First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon confirmed at a Coronavirus Briefing on Friday 22nd January that summer festivals and events would not be able to take place this year. We are also aware that our friends at Lanark Lanimer Committee have decided to postpone some of their events and Hawick Common Ridings have been cancelled once again.
The Deacons Court fully considered a number of options for the 2021 Marches and took into consideration the safety of the community and the traditions of the day.
With this in mind, the Deacons Court made the difficult and disappointing decision to cancel Linlithgow Marches 2021 and to hold online virtual celebrations similar to last year.
While we know that this will be disappointing to many, our priority must be to the safety of the people of Linlithgow.
A full programme of online events and information on ways in which the community can get involved in the Virtual Marches, will be available throughout the coming months and we do hope to encourage as much involvement from organisations and individuals as possible.
The Provost, Bailies and Deacons thank you for your continued support, and hope that you remain safe during these difficult times.
Long Live the Marches!
The Riding of the Marches of the Ancient and Royal Burgh of Linlithgow is a tradition dating back to the 16th century. In the 21st century the Riding is essentially just as it was in the early years of the 20th and the thriving Deacons’ Court will continue to organise the Riding on the first Tuesday after the second Thursday in June every year.
You can find out about the history of The Marches and information about Marches Day from the pages indexed on the menu bar above.
DOWNLOAD MARCHES DOCUMENTS
Bicycle Entry Form - DOWNLOAD HERE
Deacons Entry Form - DOWNLOAD HERE
Marches Float Entry Form - DOWNLOAD HERE
Prize Categories and Safety Info - DOWNLOAD HERE
The Role of a Deacon Form - DOWNLOAD HERE
