Freedom of religion in Scotland

Since the Church of Scotland Act 1921, the Church of Scotland has been independent from the state. The monarch of the United Kingdom does, however, take an oath to preserve the Church of Scotland at the meeting of the Privy Council immediately following his or her accession.^[1] The monarch also has the right to attend the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, but usually sends a High Commissioner in his or her place.^[1]

As of the 2011 census, Christianity was the largest religion in Scotland, chosen by 53.8% of the Scottish population identifying when asked: "What religion, religious denomination or body do you belong to?" This represented a decline from the 2001 figure of 65.1%. More recent polls of public opinion have shown that the majority today consider themselves non-religious. In 2017, the Scottish Social Attitudes Survey, conducted by ScotCen Social Research found that 58% of Scots identified themselves as non-religious, compared to 40% in 1999.^[2][3]

On 28 October 2021, the Scottish Parliament formed the Cross-Party Group on Freedom of Religion or Belief. At the time of forming, the group was represented by MSPs John Mason, Murdo Fraser, Jeremy Balfour, Stephen Kerr and Katy Clark. A number of non–political figures and organisations from across Scotland also collaborate with the group.^[4] The groups purpose is to meet in order to discuss and consider how best to promote the freedom of religion or belief for any and all individuals and organisations across Scotland.^[5]