Old Maps of Scotland
Explore our collection of old maps of Scotland, including historic county maps, island charts, regional surveys and decorative maps of the country as a whole.
The range includes works by celebrated cartographers such as John Speed, Joan Blaeu and later nineteenth-century mapmakers, preserving old place names, historic boundaries, coastlines and settlements from across Scotland.
Each map is reproduced as a fine art print, with careful attention to the colour, detail and character of the original.
Scotland in the Age of Blaeu
A Country Revealed Region by Region
Scotland's mountains, islands and long, deeply indented coastline made it difficult to compress into a single early map. Regional maps provide a richer view. They follow river valleys into the interior, trace lochs and sea passages, and record castles, estates, churches and small communities far beyond the principal burghs. Together they form a striking portrait of a varied country.
Joan Blaeu's Scottish Atlas
Published in Amsterdam in 1654, Joan Blaeu's maps of Scotland were among the finest achievements of seventeenth-century cartography. National, regional and island plates combine a wealth of place names with expressive hills, winding waters, coloured boundaries and elaborate cartouches. Each has its own composition and character, from the Borders and Clydesdale to the Highlands, Hebrides, Orkney and Shetland.
Recognising Old Scotland
Modern viewers can follow familiar places across these maps, but the landscape does not always behave as expected. Orientation may vary, settlement symbols are conventional and spellings preserve older forms. Modern roads, reservoirs, industrial towns and expanded suburbs are absent. The result is not a modern survey, but an absorbing encounter with Scotland before later development transformed its communities.
Maps with a Sense of Belonging
A Scottish map is often chosen because the place feels personal: an island visited repeatedly, a glen associated with family, a town once called home or a wider attachment to the country. The detailed engraving encourages close study, while the colour and decorative design give the print warmth from across a room. Careful reproduction preserves both qualities.
