The Lodge said the Union could be under threat in the May elections

The Grand Master of the Grand Orange lodge of Scotland, Ian Wilson, said voters would have to be "careful" if they wanted to keep the Union together.

His comments came at a march through central Edinburgh to celebrate 300 years of the Union with England.

Mr Wilson also said he was "concerned" that there had been little celebration to mark the anniversary.

Orange Lodges from across the UK marched alongside 80 bands through the capital on Saturday afternoon.

We're saying that the Union has been good for Scotland and will continue to be good for Scotland Ian Wilson Orange Order in Scotland

Speaking at a rally in the Meadows beforehand, Mr Wilson outlined the reasons for holding the march.

"We were a wee bit concerned in the Grand Orange Lodge of Scotland that there didn't seem to be much in the way of celebration about the 300th anniversary of the Act of Union," he said.

"We felt as a Unionist organisation that there deserved to be.

"It surprises me that the best that seems to have been done is that a new £2 coin has been struck, apparently a train has been named, and beyond that there hasn't been anything exciting at all.

"The other factor is with having a parliamentary election this year and the Scottish National Party apparently riding so high in the polls, this has put an extra impetus on this event."

'Be canny'

Mr Wilson said that part of the message from the event was that people also needed to "work for the Union".

He added: "We're saying that the Union has been good for Scotland and will continue to be good for Scotland.

"I think Scots people have to be a wee bit canny and a wee bit careful on 3 May as to how they vote in the parliamentary election."

More than 12,000 Orangemen were commemorating the old Scottish Parliament voting itself out of existence and politically coupling Scotland with England in 1707.