FIRST EDITION with Dutch text. ‘We should be in no doubt that volume V of Blaeu’s ‘Atlas’, based on Pont’s chorographical work and others’ maps and words, is a hugely important work in the history of Scottish mapping’ (Fleet …). Joan Blaeu’s atlas of Scotland of 1654 is a landmark publication, being the first ever printed of that country. The source for the material was Robert Gordon of Straloch (1580-1661), Aberdeenshire. He was ably assisted by his son James Gordon (c.1615-1686). Blaeu (c.1599-1673) had supplied them with Timothy Pont’s incomplete manuscript material from earlier in the century. However, Robert Gordon seemed unsure of just exactly what was required of him as he duplicated some of the maps which Blaeu had already engraved. Of the maps 36 are assigned to Pont, 3 to Robert Gordon and 1 to James Gordon.

In June 1654 Blaeu applied for a Privilege stating ‘that he has acquired, with great pain and costs, and that he has ordered the engraving and printing of the maps and descriptions of the province of Scotland and its adjoining islands, as made by Jacobus Gordonius and Thimotheus Pont. In order to avoid counterfeiting he asks for a prelegio [sic] to print and sell the work in the Netherlands during a period of 25 years’ (Koeman). The atlas was published in Latin, Dutch, French and German in the first year, 1654. Chubb (1927) 2; Fleet (2002); Fleet (2004); Fleet, Wilkes and Withers (2011) pp. 62-6; Koeman (1967-70) Bl 48; Moir (1973) Vol. 1 pp. 37-53, Vol. 2 p. 150; Phillips (1901-) 406; Shirley (2004) T.Bla-1j; Skelton (1970) 58 & 59; Tooley’s Dictionary (1999-2004).