Old Map of Edinburgh in 1851 by Tallis & Rapkin - Holyrood, Scott Monument, Old Town
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This map of Edinburgh was engraved by John Rapkin and published by J. Tallis & Co around 1851, as part of Tallis's Illustrated Atlas of the World, one of the last of the great decorative Victorian atlases. It presents the city viewed from the north-west, at the height of industrialised Victorian Britain, when Edinburgh was expanding rapidly while still proudly displaying its historic core.
The map's decorative vignettes include Holyroodhouse, the royal palace at the foot of the Royal Mile, alongside the Scott Monument and the Burns Monument, both raised to Scotland's literary heroes. The plan itself traces the divide between the Old Town, clustered beneath the Castle Rock, and the more spacious New Town beyond, with the port of Leith marked to the north. Street names and landmarks across the city have changed remarkably little in the century and a half since this map was engraved.
It would make a fitting birthday or Christmas gift for someone from Edinburgh, a housewarming present for a new resident of Scotland's capital, or a leaving and retirement gift for a colleague heading north. It also suits an anniversary present for a couple with Scottish roots. The engraved linework and original colouring have been carefully restored to keep every building outline and vignette sharp.
