PGL Argyll & the Isles

Freemasonry in Argyll, Bute and Arran, Scotland

Daughter Lodges

Donation to Arran Community First Responders

Receiving the donation were first responders Hannah and Lyla Taylor, David McLintock and Fiona Laing. They are pictured with PGM John Stewart and Master Derek Fleming

On Saturday, 20 June 2026, Lodge St Molios No 774 and the Provincial Grand Lodge of Argyll and the Isles presented a cheque for £4,000 to the Arran Community First Responders.

The donation was made through the Grand Lodge of Scotland’s charitable matched funding scheme, which enables individual lodges to apply for additional funding in support of local charities across Scotland. Lodge St Molios No 774 and the Provincial Grand Lodge each contributed £1,000 before submitting a successful application to the scheme, doubling the amount and bringing the total donation to £4,000.

The Arran Community First Responders are highly trained local volunteers who provide vital, life-saving medical assistance, including CPR and defibrillation, while an ambulance is on its way to emergencies such as cardiac arrests and severe chest pain. They operate across nine schemes throughout the island, including Brodick, Lamlash and Whiting Bay.

Special Communication and Installation on Tiree

In 2025, the brethren of Lodge Tir an Eorna No 1775 asked whether a Provincial Communication could be held on the island, and on Saturday, 13 June 2026, it came to pass. It was the day of the Lodge’s annual installation, with the Provincial Communication being held before the installation ceremony.

The installation was conducted by Peter Barr and Alan Campbell, both Past Masters of Lodge St Modan No 985, along with assistance from Stevie Ross, Bruce Emslie and Alister Colthart. Their work was flawless, clearly showing the extent of preparation the installation team had done. Indeed, Alan explained the mechanics of some of that in his reply to Angus McKinnon’s toast to the Installing Masters, but I won’t expand on that here, as what happens on Tiree stays in Tiree 🫡 How could I not share a photo or two of Peter Barr’s wind-up during his reply, though? It was priceless!

One of Master Angus McKinnon’s first duties upon receiving the mallet was to confer honorary membership on Alan Campbell, a real pleasure for the brethren to witness. I’ve never seen Alan speechless before, but he really was.

The welcome and hospitality that the visitors received were second to none, and the brethren of the Provincial Grand Lodge and visiting brethren would like to extend their thanks to the brethren of Tiree for making the visit so enjoyable, including laying on a bus to and from the ferry terminal. In all, 90 brethren sat down to mince and tatties, a special day of Argyll and the Isles Freemasonry indeed. Thank you all. 🤝

Defibrillator for Sandbank Community

Left to right: Substitute PGM John McNaughton, Joanne Kent and Joanne Currie from the Sandbank Hall committee with Kevin Barton, RWM of Lodge St Munn Ardnadam, and Substitute PGM Archie McCulloch.

Following an informative talk by Archie McCulloch on behalf of Prostate Scotland on 11 March 2026, a defibrillator was presented to the Sandbank community at the open day held at Lodge St Munn Ardnadam No 496.

Text from article in Dunoon Observer and Argyllshire Standard, 20 March 2026

Health awareness evening sees lifesaving boost for Sandbank Hall

An evening focused on health awareness and community support proved a success in Sandbank, as Lodge St Munn Ardnadam welcomed guests from across Cowal for a special open event.

Held on Wednesday, March 11, the evening brought together members of the public alongside Brethren from lodges throughout the area. The main focus of the event was an informative presentation on prostate health, delivered by Brother Archie McCulloch of Lodge Oban Commercial.

Mr McCulloch, who is one of the Grand Lodge of Scotland’s designated “Prostate Champions”, spoke about prostate cancer and other related illnesses, aiming to raise awareness and encourage early detection.

The evening concluded with a significant contribution to the local community, as Lodge St Munn Ardnadam, together with the Provincial Grand Lodge of Argyll and the Isles, presented Sandbank Hall committee with a new heart defibrillator.

Substitute Provincial Grand Master Brother John McNaughton said the donation was particularly meaningful. He said: “We are very pleased to assist the hall and the Sandbank community in continuing the legacy of the late Arthur Oliver, who donated the first heart defibrillator to Sandbank Hall.”

The addition of the new defibrillator will help ensure the hall remains equipped with vital lifesaving equipment for community use.

St John’s Day Visitation in Inveraray

Saturday, 27 December 2025 saw the traditional St John’s day meeting at Lodge Inveraray St John No 50. The long-standing tradition is for Lodge Lochfyne No 754 to visit on that day and confer a degree. Led by their master, Lachlan Wood, Lodge Lochfyne conferred a splendid FC degree on a progressive candidate of Lodge Inveraray. The tracing board lecture was delivered flawlessly by PM Bro. Ian Smith.