Old Map of Scotland, Shetland Isles and Orkney in 1654 by Joan Blaeu - Edinburgh, Glasgow

This reproduction reproduces a beautifully hand-coloured 1654 map of Scotland, titled in Latin Scotia Regnum, or 'The Kingdom of Scotland', created by the master Dutch cartographer Joan Blaeu in his workshop in Amsterdam. It was published as part of his celebrated Theatrum Orbis Terrarum Sive Atlas Novus (New Theatre of the World), one of the finest and most ambitious atlases of the Dutch Golden Age. Unusually, the plate is arranged as two linked panels, with mainland Scotland occupying the left side of the sheet and the Shetland Isles and Orkney set apart on the right, reflecting how seventeenth-century cartographers handled Scotland's scattered northern territories.

Across the mainland panel, Edinburgh and Glasgow are both marked as Scotland's principal centres, while Portree appears representing the Highlands and Islands, and Inverness anchors the north. The map also traces Loch Ness and Loch Lomond, two of Scotland's most storied lochs, winding through the mountainous interior. To the right, the separate panel devoted to the Shetland Isles and Orkney records these northern archipelagos in their own right, complete with the decorative cartouches, coats of arms, and sailing ships typical of Blaeu's workshop. Every place name appears in the Latinised spelling common to maps of the period, offering a fascinating comparison with today's Scottish geography.

This dual-panel map makes a distinctive housewarming gift for anyone settling in Scotland, a retirement present for someone returning to Edinburgh or Glasgow, or a wedding or anniversary gift for a couple with Scottish heritage stretching from the mainland up to Orkney or Shetland. It also suits a Christmas gift for a family historian or a refined corporate gift for a Scotland-based business. The fine hand-coloured engraving from Blaeu's original 1654 plate, including the decorative cartouche and coastal detail across both panels, has been carefully restored.