Pastmap - maps of Scotland

Have you discovered PastMap yet?  Pastmap is a free website allowing researchers to view information about the archaeology, architecture and landscapes of Scotland on one single map. It is managed by Historic Environment Scotland (HES) along with partners from local government and archaeological curators, and holds data from a growing number of other sources.

You can look at different layers, such as local authority Historic Environment Records (HERs), or Listed Building data from HES. You can choose to display layers on a map or aerial photograph and you can turn the layers on or off. Use the search or zoom tools to explore the map and delve into historic sites across Scotland.

When you find a site of interest – like a standing stone, a castle or a designed landscape – click on it to show more detail in the sidebar. Select a group of objects by drawing a shape or circle around them. Once you have made your selection, you can download a report of up to 1,000 records to view later.

Different types of maps include

• Modern.  Look at the locations of Scotland’s sites and monuments superimposed on today’s Ordnance Survey and OpenStreetMap bases
• Historic - Use historic 19th and 20th century OS maps as a backdrop to historic environment data and look at how the landscape has changed over time
• Aerial - Compare features from the air against what is known in Scotland’s historic environment records, and look in more detail from a bird’s-eye view
• Data - Discover where the archaeology, historic buildings and landscapes of Scotland are, and follow the links to their descriptions and stories