Tuesday 2 February 2010

ive got it mapped...

i got a lovely collection of maps the other night that belonged to an ex-workmates grandad...
it was a big bag which included 36 `inch to mile` ordance survey maps as well as various other touring maps and towns maps from the 1970s...

added to my own inch to mile maps im well on the way now at 2/3rds there to having all 81 maps of scotland in the older imperial series...so why would you want these?,
well these maps have alot of features and old roads in some countys omitted on modern metric 1:50.000 OS landrangers,and are great when compared to modern maps to find old unmaintained and sometimes lost roads...roads once used that often look like this...



the eastern countys of fife,east lothian and particulary berwickshire which is the next county down from here in east lothian on the border with england has a lot of unmaintained roads which somehow have been missed when remapping...these were the type of roads we looked for when motorcycling offroad,later in the year i will visit and post pics of some of them...some have overgrowen twin hawthorn or beech hedges lining them in the middle of mature woods with a stone bottomed ford crossing a burn and although locals all know about them and may remmember them in use they have been missed by the map makers...when you compare old and new maps and think you found something then see it on the ground which only happens once in many times of looking its a great buzz,i know of one such lost road with a stone milage marker for instance..some countys like berwickshire had so many roads in the countryside there just must of been mistakes...there not going anywhere,just waiting to be rediscovered...
i also got a great geological survey map published 1957...

great detail of the rocks that make up scotland...


and this `robert the bruce` history trail map which details all places and events associated with the king of scots...


added to a growing collection of older maps these complement some nice old books i have which include this beauty from the early 1970s...

more for historical buildings and artifacts than old roads it is full of great info to look at anywhere you may visit in scotland...

4 comments:

  1. Hullo Coastkid,

    Luvlee jubblee. I do love my maps too. I love to see how town and country have developed, how names change over the years etc. Mine are a bit older - 1650 to 1870, but I have a number of maps of the lothians from the 18th century.

    I have a copy of the AA illustrated road book too. Its great for finding wee treasures as you potter about. I thought I had lost it in the 90's {was it not printed in the 70's?} but it turned up in a box left from house removals.

    The info about lost roads is fascinating...


    looking forward to the pics.

    cheers....Al.

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  2. i got the AA book from my dad,it is brilliant,i guess you too use the national map libary online maps too...i have a replica 1st edition OS map of dunbar..i loved nick cranes series `map man` it was brilliant,he is doing another series,i hawill do a post on his stuff soon...

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  3. Oh how they look great.

    That reminds me. I need to order a large collection of OS maps and some sort of holder for the bike. I wanted a Garmin really but they're too expensive.

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  4. Hey - that AA book is a family heirloom - make sure you look after it bro - no oily hands!

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