St. Andrew's Scots Kirk Church

This beautiful old Colombo church displays much of the austere Calvinism of 19th Century Scotland. Here, faith, not religious folderol, creates a calm and understated oasis of Christian observance. Opened for worship in 1842, it drew its congregation from among the many Scottish planters who had arrived in Ceylon to seek their fortunes among the uplands and fertile valleys of the Hill Country. While the Scottish community diminished after independence in 1948, the church adapted and moved with the times. While not shedding its essential Church of Scotland ethos, it became and international and interdenominational church that was open to all.