Sikhism in Scotland includes all aspects of
Sikh
Sikhs ( or ; pa, ਸਿੱਖ, ' ) are people who adhere to Sikhism, Sikhism (Sikhi), a Monotheism, monotheistic religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Gu ...
life and Sikhism in
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to ...
. Sikhs have been present in Scotland for over a century, with the first documented Sikh, Maharaja Daleep Singh, arriving in
Perthshire
Perthshire ( locally: ; gd, Siorrachd Pheairt), officially the County of Perth, is a historic county and registration county in central Scotland. Geographically it extends from Strathmore in the east, to the Pass of Drumochter in the nort ...
in 1855. The next wave of migration was in early-to-mid 1920s when prominent Sikhs of the Bhat/
Bhatra
The Bhatra Sikhs (also known as Bhat Sikhs) are a sub-group within the Sikhs who originated from the bards of the time of Guru Nanak. In the 20th century publication A Glossary of the Tribes and Castes of the Punjab and North-West Frontier Pro ...
community established themselves in Glasgow and Edinburgh. However, the bulk of Sikhs in Scotland come from families who immigrated during the late 20th century. In Scotland Sikhs represent 0.2% of the population (9,055).
History
The first documented Sikh in Scotland was Maharajah Duleep Singh, who moved to Scotland in 1854, taking up residence at the Grandtully estate in
Perthshire
Perthshire ( locally: ; gd, Siorrachd Pheairt), officially the County of Perth, is a historic county and registration county in central Scotland. Geographically it extends from Strathmore in the east, to the Pass of Drumochter in the nort ...
. According to the Scottish Sikh Association, the first
Sikhs
Sikhs ( or ; pa, ਸਿੱਖ, ' ) are people who adhere to Sikhism (Sikhi), a monotheistic religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Guru Nanak. The ter ...
settled in
Glasgow
Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popu ...
in the early 1920s with the first
Gurdwara established in South Portland Street.
[Introduction](_blank)
scottishsikhs.com, accessed 13 January 2009 However, the bulk of Sikhs in Scotland come from families who immigrated during the late 20th century.
21st century
According to the 2011 Census, 0.2% of Scotland's population identifies Sikhism as their religion.
Glasgow
Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popu ...
is the area with the most significant Sikh population in the country. Of the seven
Gurdwaras in Scotland, four are in Glasgow, one in
Edinburgh
Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...
, one in
Dundee
Dundee (; sco, Dundee; gd, Dùn Dè or ) is Scotland's fourth-largest city and the 51st-most-populous built-up area in the United Kingdom. The mid-year population estimate for 2016 was , giving Dundee a population density of 2,478/km2 or ...
and one in
Irvine.
Plans are also in place to open a Gurdwara in
Aberdeen
Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), a ...
.
Tartan
Scottish Sikhs have their own
tartan
Tartan ( gd, breacan ) is a patterned cloth consisting of criss-crossed, horizontal and vertical bands in multiple colours. Tartans originated in woven wool, but now they are made in other materials. Tartan is particularly associated with Sc ...
, and can be seen wearing kilts made from the material.
Gurdwaras in Scotland
*Guru Nanak Gurdwara, Dundee
*Guru Nanak Gurdwara, Edinburgh
*Guru Nanak Gurdwara, Glasgow (West End)
*Central Gurdwara Singh Sabha, Glasgow (Central)
*Shri Guru Tegh Bahadur Gurdwara, Glasgow (South Side)
*Gurdwara Guru Granth Sahib Sikh Sabha, Glasgow (South Side)
*Guru Nanak Gurdwara Irvine,
Guru Nanak Gurdwara Irvine
/ref> Irvine
Notable Scottish Sikhs
* Pam Gosal - Member of Scottish Parliament for West Scotland
* Hardeep Singh Kohli - Actor, comedian, presenter
* Sanjeev Kohli - Actor, comedian, presenter
* Tigerstyle - Music band of brothers Raj Singh and Pablo Singh
* Tony Singh - Chef
See also
* Religion in Scotland
* Sikhism in the United Kingdom
*List of British Sikhs
List of British Sikhs is a list of notable Sikhs from the United Kingdom.
Academia and education
* Harjinder Singh Dilgeer – National Professor of Sikh History. Member of SGPC Sikh History Research Board and author of 60 books on Sikhism.
* ...
* Sikhism by country
* Demographics of Scotland
The demography of Scotland includes all aspects of population, past and present, in the area that is now Scotland. Scotland has a population of 5,463,300, as of 2019. The population growth rate in 2011 was estimated as 0.6% per annum accordin ...
* Asian-Scots
Scottish Asian (Asian-Scottish or Asian-Scots) is a term defined within the 2011 Scottish census as including people of Bangladeshi, Chinese, Indian, Pakistani or other Asian ancestry resident in Scotland. Their parents or grandparents are normal ...
* New Scots
References
External links
Sikhs in ScotlandGlasgow GurdwaraCentral Gurdwara
Edinburgh Gurdwara
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sikhism In Scotland
Immigration to Scotland