About 'Maps of Scotland'
In our 'Maps of Scotland' resource you can access and view over 20,000 maps as high-resolution, colour, zoomable images. The maps date between 1560 and 1935 and we have grouped them into several categories.
Browse by category
The easiest way of finding material is to browse by category. The maps vary in the amount of detail they offer:
- Least detailed maps – early maps of the whole of Scotland
- More detailed – county/regional maps and coastal charts
- Very detailed – town plans.
You can also browse the maps by the names of map-makers, surveyors and engravers.
Sets of county maps
We have several altases online with sets of county maps:
- Blaeu Atlas of Scotland, 1654
- Herman Moll's Maps of Scotland, 1745
- John Thomson's Atlas of Scotland, 1832
- Bartholomew Survey Atlas of Scotland, 1912.
Military maps
Another category is of maps made for military purposes, especially those from the 18th century. These include the famous Roy Military Survey of Scotland. From the 19th century onwards, maps were often published as a set or series, especially by Ordnance Survey.
More about early maps
We have further information about early maps in our introduction to Maps of Scotland 1560-1928. You can also read more about each sub-category: see the early maps list. Together these information pages form a brief, descriptive history of cartography in Scotland.
Seamless and geo-referenced maps
We are geo-referencing a growing proportion of more recent maps. This lets us present a maps series as a seamless layer, and improve search methods. Read more about geo-referenced maps.
Images and printouts
You can order images and printouts of all of these maps. For details, including contact information, use the enquires and copies link on all map image pages. The page also has a list of frequently asked questions about our online maps.