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 the ...

. 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 north, ...

in 1855. The next wave of migration was in early-to-mid 1920s when prominent Sikhs of the Bhat/ Bhatra 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

. 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 term ...

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 popul ...

in the early 1920s with the first

Gurdwara A gurdwara (sometimes written as gurudwara) (Gurmukhi: ਗੁਰਦੁਆਰਾ ''guradu'ārā'', meaning "Door to the Guru") is a place of assembly and worship for Sikhs. Sikhs also refer to gurdwaras as ''Gurdwara Sahib''. People from all faiths ...

established in South Portland Street.Introduction
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.

is the area with the most significant Sikh population in the country. Of the seven

s 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), and ...

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 Pam Gosal (born 25 April 1972) is a Scottish Conservative politician who has been a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for West Scotland since May 2021. She is one of the first women of colour elected to the Scottish parliament, alongside ...

- Member of Scottish Parliament for West Scotland *

Hardeep Singh Kohli Hardeep Singh Kohli (born 21 January 1969) is a Scottish presenter of Sikh heritage who has appeared on various radio and television programmes. Background Kohli was born in London and moved to Glasgow, Scotland, when he was four. His parents ...

- Actor, comedian, presenter *

Sanjeev Kohli Sanjeev Singh Kohli (born 30 November 1971) is a British actor, comedian, and writer. He is best known for his role as shopkeeper Navid Harrid in the BBC sitcom '' Still Game'' (2002–2007, 2016–2019), Ramesh Majhu in the radio sitcom '' Fa ...

- Actor, comedian, presenter *

Tigerstyle Tigerstyle is a Scottish folkhop group from Glasgow with a British Punjabi background. Background Brothers Raj Singh and Pablo (Pops) Singh come from a folk background, with the traditional upbringing of a Sikh family, with their roots in Punja ...

- Music band of brothers Raj Singh and Pablo Singh * Tony Singh - Chef

References

External links

Sikhs in ScotlandGlasgow GurdwaraCentral Gurdwara

Edinburgh Gurdwara
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sikhism In Scotland Immigration to Scotland