The beginnings of the provinces began in 1739 when John Keith, 3rd Earl of Kintore was the Grand Master of Scotland (1738 - 1739) he made a visit to the Lodge of Edinburgh No. 1 (Mary's Chapel) and a new office in Scottish masonry began - that of Provincial Grand Master. On the 7th February of that year he appointed Alexander Drummond, Master of the Greenock Kilwinning Lodge to the supervision of the "West Country Lodges" (West of Scotland Lodges).

An old minute of St John's Old Kilwinning Lodge in Inverness mentions a visit from him on the 20th April 1739 in which he signs himself as "The Provincial Grand Master for Scotland", he took the 'chair' and 'lectured the Brethren for their instruction'.

In November 1739 his commission was renewed and he is then styled as - "Provincial Grand Master of the several Lodges in the Western shires of Scotland" – that is over the Lodges in the Counties of Argyll, Dumbarton, Renfrew etc. He continued in that term until 1742.

In 1739 Grand Lodge decided as there was a 'Provincial Grand Master for inspecting and visiting the several Lodges in the Western Counties of Scotland, there should to be two others for undertaking the same duties for the 'North and South Counties'.

A committee was formed consisting of the two Grand Wardens - George & Alexander Drummond and five others and given powers.

On the 6th February 1745 Bro John Callendar of Craigforth, Esquire, was appointed Provincial Grand Master for the Lodge of Stirling and other Lodges in that County.

In August 1745 Bro Alexander Melville of Balgarbie, the Master of the Mason Lodge of Falkland desired a commission to be Provincial Grand Master of the Lodges within the County of Fife.

In August 1747 Grand Lodge were considering the position of the other Lodges throughout the Kingdom who at that time acknowledged the authority of Grand Lodge - It was proposed that that the Lodges should be classed into districts or divisions

Angus & Dundee

The History of the Provincial Grand Lodge.

Link to the Grand Lodge of Scotland

East of ScotlandLodges, from Dundee to Inverness in 1745