Orange walks in Scotland will be moved to online this year after the parades were cancelled due to the coronavirus crisis. 

The Grand Orange Lodge is planning a 'virtual 12th' that will see supporters gathering in cyberspace rather than on the streets for the annual Boyne parade in July, reports The Times newspaper. 

Its online event will show highlights of previous parades as well as speeches and bible readings.

The annual Boyne parade takes place in Glasgow on the Saturday before July 12, which commemorates the victory of Protestant king William III over his Catholic rival in 1690. 

Leaders believe the online event will give the Lodge time to reflect after continuous controversy at marches in recent years. 

In 2018, a parish priest was spat at by a parade follower outside Glasgow's St Alphonsus Church. 

Recent research commission by the Scottish Government found that the sectarian attack led to "heightened tensions" in the city.

READ MORE: 'Heightened tensions': Attack on Glasgow priest led to rising tensions around Loyal Order parades

Tensions continued last year when Loyalist protesters were met with Republican marches in September. 

Grand master of the Lodge, Jim McHarg, hopes that the digital march will be as close to an actual parade as possible during the pandemic. 

He told The Times: "We are going to have a virtual parade made up of footage of old parades and speeches.

"It will be like the day would have panned out but it will be on YouTube or Facebook.

“It will be a bit like watching Sky Sports just now with football matches from years ago.”

The 2020 parades were cancelled ahead of lockdown, McHarg added: “We said there will no more parades until further notice and that still stands. With the rules as they are, we could not have a parade anyway.”

This march-free year will hopefully lead to future parades proceeding with "as little disruption as possible". 

READ MORE: Coronavirus: Orange Order plan Glasgow parade to thank government

McHarg revealed Glasgow City Council set up remote meetings between the Lodge and the Catholic Church in an attempt to settle disputes which emerged during past parades. 

The grand master admitted this year would be used to "meet people and get to some kind of decent outcome where we can have our parades but where they cause as little disruption as possible”.

He said: “Can we do something different? I am glad to say we are working with the Catholic Church.”