The Historic Roots of the Royal Order of Scotland

The Royal Order of Scotland is one of Freemasonry's oldest bodies, claiming lineage back to Robert the Bruce in 1314, but its documented history begins around 1740 in London before being re-established in Edinburgh in 1767, where its Grand Lodge remains today, overseeing global Provincial Grand Lodges. The Order confers two degrees, Heredom of Kilwinning and Knight of the Rosy Cross, and famously claims the Scottish King as its hereditary Grand Master, though a Deputy acts in his stead.