The Colourful Heritage
Digital Timeline
Our digital timeline charts the history and progress of South Asians and key events in Scotland over the last 100 years or so, from the arrival of Maharajah Duleep Singh in Perthshire to the present day involvement of women in politics.
Starting from 1855 this fascinating timeline takes you through the journey of the evolution of the South Asian and Muslim community in Scotland.
Select a time period or start scrolling through the timeline!
In 2017 Aamer Anwar was the 1st South Asian & Muslim rector to be elected at Glasgow University. He is a British political activist and lawyer of Pakistani origin. In December 2007 the law magazine The Firm placed him ninth in a feature of top 100 most powerful and influential…
Read More
A mother and daughter, Shafqat and Aleena Rafi from Clydebank, are set to become the first officers in Scotland – special or regular – to wear the hijab on the beat once they complete the recruitment process. The Hijab was introduced as part of the official Police Scotland uniform in…
Read More
Kash Farooq becomes the Scottish bantamweight boxing champion in 2018. “This is the moment I’ve been waiting for, it’s a chance to claim a British title and I can’t wait to get in there and get the job done. Credit: Daily Record (photo), St Andrews Sporting Club
Abtaha Mahin Maqsood is picked for the Scotland Women’s cricket team. In June 2018, she was picked for Scotland’s squad for the ICC Women’s World Twenty20 Qualifier tournament. She made her debut for Scotland against Uganda on 7 July 2018. Abtaha also became Britain’s first hijab-wearing cricketer and has her own mural in a Birmingham school…
Read More
In July 2017, GlaswegAsians exhibition is jointly launched by Colourful Heritage and Glasgow Museums. Our exhibition at Scotland Street School Museum is Scotland’s first dedicated exhibition which promotes the contributions of the South Asian community to Scotland. Learn about how they arrived and settled in Scotland. Explore how the ‘Punjabi…
Read More
Colourful Heritage along with members of the South Asian community of Glasgow attended the annual Remembrance & wreath laying service at George Square, Glasgow A wreath was laid by Omar Shaikh (colourful Heritage) and Mr. Darbara Singh Bhullar, who is a WW2 veteran at the George Square cenotaph to commemorate…
Read More
In June 2018, Humza Yousaf MSP was appointed Cabinet Secretary for Justice in the Scottish Government by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon. Yousaf started his career in the Scottish Parliament as an aide to the late Bashir Ahmad MSP. He later served as a Parliamentary Liaison Officer to former First Minister…
Read More
Indian soldiers of Force K6 who died in Scotland during World War Two were honoured at a multi-faith remembrance service organised by Colourful Heritage in Kingussie. The service was attended by over thirty South Asian men & women from the Muslim, Sikh and Hindu faith along with members of the…
Read More
On 10th July, 2019, Colourful Heritage was announced the best ‘Gathering and Preserving Heritage’ Community Archive and Heritage Group at the Community Archives and Heritage Group (CAHG) conference in the Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow. Location: Glasgow, Scotland Credit: CAHG, Colourful Heritage, Archives and Records Association
Bashir Maan CBE, A trail blazer and pioneering politician and Scots-Asian community leader passes away on 20th December 2019 in Glasgow Aged 93. He was born in Quila Didhar Singh, British India in October 1926. He travelled from Pakistan to Scotland in 1953 and started working as a peddlar (door…
Read More