Peter Hill (1755-1837) was a well-known bookseller of the old town of Edinburgh. He counted amongst his customers Robert Burns. He had a flourishing business as his catalogue of 1793 records 5,372 items over 205 pages! In 1820 Peter Hill published a small volume of 53 sectional maps of Scotland. They were engraved by W. H. Lizars. It was re-issued here by the firm of Oliver & Boyd with a revised title priced nine shillings. For this edition the text listing the roads is accompanied by a population table referring to the 1821 census and comparing the date to that of the previous one in 1811.

Thomas Oliver is found in the Edinburgh Directory for 1799 as a printer at North Richmond Street. He was joined in partnership by George Boyd around 1808. By 1820 they were established publishers in Tweeddale Court, High Street. The sectional plates began with number 4, a glance at the index map shows that the first lower left squares represent open water. Moir (1973) I pp. 127-8 & 142, II p. 40.