 Erskine wrote principally on mediaeval India, but he also completed John Malcolm's biography of Clive of India after Malcolm's death and translated the "Baburnama", the memoirs of Zehir-Ed-Din Muhammed Babur, Emperor of Hindustan.He was removed from office in 1823 by Sir Edward West after being accused of defalcation (misappropriation of funds) and for many of his later years resided in Edinburgh, as well as Pau in South West France.He was Provost of St Andrews, 1836–1839.