ken azi ▁background ▁who ▁mainly ▁settled ▁in ▁Edinburgh , ▁then ▁in ▁Glasgow ▁in ▁the ▁mid ▁ 1 9 th ▁century . ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 1 ▁census , ▁ 5 , 8 8 7 ▁Jews ▁lived ▁in ▁Scotland ; ▁a ▁decl ine ▁of ▁ 8 . 7 % ▁from ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 1 ▁census . ▁The ▁total ▁population ▁of ▁Scotland ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁was ▁ 5 , 3 1 3 , 6 0 0 , ▁making ▁Scottish ▁Jews ▁ 0 . 1 % ▁of ▁the ▁population . ▁ ▁Middle ▁A ges ▁to ▁union ▁with ▁England ▁There ▁is ▁only ▁sc ant ▁evidence ▁of ▁a ▁Jewish ▁presence ▁in ▁medieval ▁Scotland . ▁In ▁ 1 1 8 0 , ▁the ▁Bishop ▁of ▁Glasgow ▁forb ade ▁church men ▁to ▁" ledge ▁their ▁benef ices ▁for ▁money ▁borrow ed ▁from ▁Jews ". ▁This ▁was ▁around ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁anti - J ew ish ▁ri ots ▁in ▁England ▁so ▁it ▁is ▁possible ▁that ▁Jews ▁may ▁have ▁arrived ▁in ▁Scotland ▁as ▁refuge es , ▁or ▁it ▁may ▁refer ▁to ▁Jews ▁dom ic iled ▁in ▁England ▁from ▁whom ▁Sc ots ▁were ▁borrow ing ▁money . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁Middle ▁A ges , ▁much ▁of ▁Scotland ' s ▁trade ▁was ▁with ▁contin ental ▁Europe , ▁with ▁w ool ▁of ▁the ▁B orders ▁ab be ys ▁being ▁the ▁country ' s ▁main ▁export ▁to ▁Fland ers ▁and ▁the ▁Low ▁Count ries . ▁Scottish ▁mer ch ants ▁from ▁Aber de en ▁and ▁D und ee ▁had ▁close ▁trad