India and Scotland: a shared past

The Scottish imprint on India, starting in the British era, is visible even today. Roger Jeffery and Friederike Voigt explore historical ties between Scotland and India, drawing on their recent visit to Mumbai, its Scottish heritage, and their new book, Perceptions of Empire: Edinburgh’s Engagement with India. They dwell on how shared histories in education, trade, missionary activities, and institution building can inform a deeper engagement between Indians and Scots.

Courtesy: Wikiwand

11 December 2025

The Scottish espirit in Bombay

BY Sifra Lentin

For a week in December, the Feast of St. Andrew is observed in Mumbai’s two Scottish Presbyterian churches – St. Andrew’s Cathedral and the Church of St. Columba. In the absence of Scots, these Churches and multiple educational institutions and trading houses remind us that colonial Bombay was primarily built by these hardy Highlanders, often mistaken by locals for Englishmen. The Scots were also Britain’s most enthusiastic Empire-builders.