Copyright and reproducing map images from this website
Copyright in maps
There are three main categories of copyright protection relevant to maps:
- Maps published by United Kingdom government departments are covered by Crown Copyright, which usually lasts for 50 years from the end of the year in which the map was published. For example, Crown Copyright on a map published in December 1970 would usually pass out of copyright in January 2021. For a map published in January 1971, copyright would usually expire in January 2022. Maps produced by Ordnance Survey or the UK Hydrographic Office are covered by Crown Copyright.
- Copyright in maps published by commercial companies and private institutions usually lasts for 70 years from the end of the year in which the map was published. For example, maps produced by the John Bartholomew & Son, Harvey Maps or Stirling Surveys, are usually in copyright for 70 years from the end of the year in which the map was published.
- Copyright in maps made by named individuals usually lasts for 70 years from the end of the calendar year in which the last remaining author of the work died. For works with unknown authorship created before 1 August 1989, copyright will expire on 31 December 2039 if the work was created before 1 January 1969; otherwise, copyright expires 70 years from the end of the year in which the work was created.
Re-use of images on this website
We encourage re-use of the Library's map images based on certain conditions of use.
However, we do not have complete rights over all images on this website. As set out under Exceptions, some images may not be re-used for certain purposes, such as commercial re-use.
The specific Re-use licence relating to each image on our website is shown in our standard map image viewer, to the upper-right, beneath the keyword search box (as illustrated). These specific re-use licences (shown in bold below - for example CC-BY) are explained more fully under each licence.
Read our definition of what is commercial re-use?
These terms are specific to our Map Images website.
Please ensure you read this page fully before re-using map images.
1. Commercial, non-commercial, educational and private use of some map images
CC-BY. You are welcome to use some images displayed on the Map Images website for commercial, non-commercial, educational and private purposes under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) licence.
Use is conditional on provision of attribution. Please apply the credit line 'Reproduced with the permission of the National Library of Scotland' wherever you re-use map images. If you create derivative work, the documentation of your work must contain this attribution.
For online publications, we request that your attribution includes a link to our Map Images website.
2. Exceptions
The terms above do not extend to:
- Any material which is identified as being the copyright of a third party. This includes modern map layers from Google, Bing, Ordnance Survey and OpenStreetMap used as backdrop layers in our geographic viewers. Authorisation to reproduce such material must be obtained from the copyright holders concerned.
- Any content that has separate licensing terms specified.
The following more general categories:
- British Library maps. CC-BY (BL). British Library permission must be sought for any reproduction.
- Charles Close Society maps. CC-BY-NC-SA (CCS). Please contact honsec@charlesclosesociety.org over any requests for commercial re-use of these maps.
- Dumfries Archival Mapping Project estate maps. CC-BY (DAMP). Please contact the Dumfries Archival Mapping project for permission to re-use these maps.
- East Lothian Council Archives, based in the John Gray Centre. CC-BY (East Lothian). Please contact history@eastlothian.gov.uk over any requests for images or printouts.
- James Hutton Institute (Macaulay) soil mapping. CC-BY-NC-SA (Hutton). Please contact the James Hutton Institute for permission to re-use these maps.
- Land Utilisation Survey, Scotland, 1931-35. CC-BY-NC-SA (LUS). Re-useable for non-commercial purposes under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC-BY-NC-SA) licence. Commercial use is prohibited.
- Lovat Highland Estates' mapping. CC-BY-NC-SA (Lovat). Re-useable for non-commercial purposes under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC-BY-NC-SA) licence. Please contact Lovat Highland Estates Ltd, Lovat Estates Office, Beauly, Inverness-shire, IV4 7DA over any requests for commercial re-use of these maps.
- Renfrewshire Museums. CC-BY-NC-SA (Renfrewshire Museums). Re-useable for non-commercial purposes under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC-BY-NC-SA) licence.
- Roy Military Survey of Scotland, 1747-55. CC-BY (BL). This map is owned by the British Library, and their permission must be sought for any reproduction.
- Saltoun Collection. CC-BY (Saltoun). Please contact us at manuscripts@nls.uk and we would be happy to forward on any re-use requests.
- Signet Library maps. CC-BY-NC-SA (Signet). These maps are re-useable for non-commercial purposes under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC-BY-NC-SA) licence. Please contact the WS Society over any requests for commercial re-use of these maps.
- Sutherland Collection. CC-BY. Please contact us at manuscripts@nls.uk and we would be happy to forward on any re-use requests. Re-use of these maps requires the permission of Sutherland Estates, Duke St, Golspie KW10 6RP, c/o Bell Ingram Highland.
- Tavistock Town Council. CC-BY-NC-SA (Tavistock). Re-useable for non-commercial purposes under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC-BY-NC-SA) licence. Please contact office@tavistock.gov.uk over any requests for commercial re-use of this map. Non-commercial use should acknowledge the source: 'Image Copyright Tavistock Town Council'.
- Yale Centre for British Art. CC-BY (Yale). Re-useable under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) licence. Please credit the Yale Centre for British Art in any onward re-use.
Further information on Permission to re-use material.