Sikhism in Scotland includes all aspects of

Sikh 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 ' ...

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 th ...

. 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 nor ...

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 Pr ...

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, 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 ...

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 pop ...

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 fait ...

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 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), ...

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 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 Punj ...

- 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