"Scotia Regnum cum insulis adjacentibus...." Robert Gordon of Straloch's magnificent map of Scotland which appeared in Joannis Blaeu's 1654 Atlas Novus. For the first time, the Shetlands were displayed in relation to the Orkneys on a map of Scotland.

Another map, from the same Blaeu Atlas: Great Britain as the Ancients saw it. Based on information gathered by Ptolemy, unfortunately, that supplied on Scotland was wrong, and he has sent it projecting out towards the east.

"Extima Scotiae." Another map from Blaeu's Atlas, depicting the Northern part of the Country. Cape Wrath has been omitted completely. Mercator had merged Cape Wrath and Faraid Head as early as 1564.

"Scotiae Regnum." Mercator's map of Northern Scotland first issued in 1595. The map contained errors that were to remain uncorrected for nearly 150 years.

A detail from mercator's "Scotiae Regnum." Cape Wrath has been combined with Faraid head, while Durness, which should be on the North coast has slipped down the West coast. A pretty map, though, the sea depicted with 'silking'.

Other famous cartographers made the same mistakes: this is "Scotia" by Abraham Ortelius, a map first issued in 1601. Obviously, in this depiction, North is to the right.

Other early maps were even less accurate. "Isole Hebride et Orcade" by Tommaso Porcacchi, 1572. He has distributed the islands around a rough outline of the mainland, seemingly at will. Hirta, which is one of the islands of St Kilda can be seen in the extreme north!

A very early map of Scandinavia, first published in 1561 by Ruscelli, this a third state 1598, identified by the addition of a splendid sea monster! Scotland is skewed off to the east, and above it looms the completely mythical island called Thule.

In 1734, John Cowley published a map which emphasized the doubts concerning the outline of the coast of Scotland. Called "A display of the Coasting Lines of Six Several Maps of North Britain", it displayed the variations found in maps of the 17th and early 18th centuries all too clearly. This image ...

This map by R. Seale "from the latest and best observations" was published in 1744, the same year as Alexander Bryce's map of the North Coast. Seale's map displays all the errors common at that time.

This is the map that clarified once and for all the correct outline of the North Coast. Published in 1744, "A Map of the North Coast of Britain from Row Stoir of Assynt to Wick in Caithness" was compiled after a thorough survey by the Reverend Alexander Bryce. In spite of the difficult terrain, the ...

The map was really a coastal chart, marking only features that could be seen from the sea. The outlines of Ben Hope and Ben Loyal, for example. Recommended routes of passage were marked on the sea with dotted lines, and small anchor symbols showed where boats could safely rest in the event of storms...

The Pentland Firth was a particularly difficult passage, with extremely fast running tides and whirlpools that sank many ships. Bryce paid particular attention to this strip of water.

But perhaps the most significant correction was the addition of the Cape Wrath headland, which had been confused with Faraid Head, and missing from maps since Mercator's map of Great Britain published in 1564.

Other mapmakers were quick to adopt the findings of new surveys. This is a map by Emanuel Bowen, published c1747. Inaccuracies still remain - the shapes of the islands, and the line of the Great Glen, for example - but he has incorporated Bryce's findings along the North Coast.

Another version of this map was issued by Bowen in 1747, paying tribute to all the various surveys going on at the time. He would have known of Bryce's work from his connection with Murdoch Mackenzie, whose important maps of the Orkney Islands he engraved in 1750.

For images of General Roy's 'Great Map' of Scotland you will need to visit the NLS website. This is a scarce image of one of the surveyors in the team, David Dundas. Roy was assisted by an impressive set of men, 4 of whom later became Generals in the Army, including this gentleman. A portrait by Ric...

In 1750, another important Scottish map was published by James Dorret. Although dismissed in 1819 by James Playfair as "inaccurate", it was seen at the time of publication to be a significant improvement on previous efforts. The shape of the islands is noticeably more accurate, for example.

Dorret's map was originally a large item, published on 4 sheets. The example photographed here is slightly later (c1865), published by Robert Sayer. A folding map with original slipcase, the linen backing bearing the name Wm. Mylne. Almost certainly William Mylne (1734 - 1790), architect and enginee...