Book review – The Munros: The Complete Collection of Maps
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
By Robin and Sue Harvey
Published by Harvey Maps
£30
If you like maps and mountains, you can't go far wrong with this coffee-table tome.
Forget any notion of this being like any other Munro collection, though – there are no mountain vistas to be found alongside the maps. This is pure, unadulterated map magic.
Granted, it acts as a giant advert for Harvey's growing collection of detailed mapping designed specifically for outdoor enthusiasts, but that doesn't detract from the beauty of the printed pages.
All the Munros are included, with maps printed at different scales (depending on the number of mountains being included in each section), including the 1:40,000 that Harvey has made its own.
The Munros are separated by area sections, and listed on each double-page spread along with the relevant Harvey map and an occasional comment from one of the map-making team about the hills in question.
There are also some interesting aspects at the beginning of the book, charting the history of the company and in particular how they go about producing their maps.
It's a great book to dip into for a quick blast of inspiration, or even when you're planning a route up one of the mountains.
But this is more than a reference guide – it's more of an appreciation of the art of map-making.
