Charles W. J. Withers

Margaret Wilkes

Christopher Fleet

Whilst documents and other written material are obvious resources that help shape our view of the past, maps too can say much about a nation's history. This is the first book to take maps seriously as a form of history, from the earliest representations of Scotland by Ptolemy in the second century AD to the most recent form of Scotland's mapping and geographical representation in GIS, satellite imagery and SATNAV.Compiled by three experts who have spent their lives working with maps, Scotland: Mapping the Nation offers a fascinating and thought-provoking perspective on Scottish history which is beautifully illustrated with complete facsimiles and details of hundreds of the most significant manuscript and printed maps from the National Library of Scotland and other institutions, including those by Timothy Pont, Joan Blaeu and William Roy, amongst many others.

Mapping the Nation

Scotland

As miniature worlds, beautiful locations and homes to communities seemingly distant from the stresses of modern life, Scotland's many islands have an extraordinary fascination on countless people, not least on the hundreds of thousands of visitors who visit them each year. Maps too fascinate, as objects of visual delight and historical importance, and as a means to represent and understand landscapes. This stimulating and informative book reproduces some of the most beautiful and historically significant maps from the National Library of Scotland's magnificent collection in order to explore the many dimensions of island life and how this has changed over time. Arranged thematically and covering topics such as population, place-names, defence, civic improvement, natural resources, navigation, and leisure and tourism, Scotland: Mapping the Islands presents the rich and diverse story of Scottish islands from the earliest maps to the most up-to date techniques of digital mapping in a unique and imaginative way.

Christopher Fleet

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