Scotland S.W. Argyll Islay Jura Kintyre Mull Tiree presents the storied seaboard of western Scotland through the discerning eye of Edward Stanford in 1904. Prepared for Stanford’s London Atlas of Universal Geography by the “Geographer to Her Majesty,” it assembles Argyll with the Inner Hebrides—Islay, Jura, Mull, and Tiree—and the long, sea-washed blade of the Kintyre peninsula. The composition balances political clarity with physical nuance, articulating parish and county limits as confidently as it draws scalloped coasts, rias, and island-studded channels. Stanford’s restrained palette and crisp, engraved linework give the region a lucid structure: settlements anchor the margins of bays and sounds, routes span headlands and isthmuses, and the oceanic weave between islands is set out with navigable precision. The result is a disciplined yet lyrical portrait of Scotland’s Atlantic fringe at the opening of the twentieth century.

The map’s physical geography is rendered with particular sensitivity to the West Highlands’ interplay of rock, water, and weather. Sea lochs bite deeply inland—Loch Fyne and West Loch Tarbert on Kintyre, Loch Indaal sheltering Islay—while the Sound of Islay and the Sound of Jura frame Jura’s long, serrate profile. To the north, the Firth of Lorn and the Sound of Mull describe natural corridors around which coastal life has long revolved. Relief is suggested with fine shading that lifts the Paps of Jura and Ben More on Mull from the page, while Tiree appears in airy contrast as a low, open island of machair and beaches. Inland, waters thread between rounded hills and moors, and color washes distinguish administrative units without obscuring the grain of the land.

Human geography is equally well observed. Oban stands as the western gateway, its harbor facing island routes; Dunoon fronts the Firth of Clyde; and Tarbert occupies its classic narrows between West and East Loch Tarbert, the hinge of Kintyre. Campbeltown, near the peninsula’s southern sweep toward the Mull of Kintyre, anchors a network of roads that spine northward. Across the islands, Tobermory on Mull, Bowmore and Port Ellen on Islay, and Jura’s scattered settlements—most notably Craighouse—appear as compact nodes linked by coastal tracks and crossings. Stanford plots principal routes cleanly, suggesting the practical connections of the day: overland arteries bending to the terrain, and short sea passages that stitch the islands to Argyll. The Crinan Canal, that deft shortcut between Ardrishaig and Crinan, succinctly registers the region’s maritime pragmatism.

Stanford’s cartography distills the most authoritative surveys of his time into a humane and legible whole. His London Atlas aimed to reconcile precision with clarity, and here the conventions are exemplary: fine coastal delineation for skerries and inlets; calibrated typography that distinguishes towns, villages, and natural features; and tints that separate jurisdictions while maintaining geographic continuity. The map preserves a pre-automotive, pre-bridge geography in which ferries and coastal steamers structured movement as much as roads, and where Gaelic toponyms—Tobermory, Tarbert, Jura—carry the cadence of older land-use and passage. It captures Argyll and the Inner Hebrides at a historical moment, when settlement patterns still hugged harbors, and the sea remained the surest avenue of commerce, culture, and connection.

For the modern eye, the sheet offers both scholarship and romance. It frames an Atlantic landscape of rare coherence: the long reach of Kintyre toward Ireland; island chains cupping sheltered waters; and uplands rising abruptly from sea-level crofts. Administrative boundaries are crisply traced yet never distract from the coastlines’ intricacy or the topographic sweep from moor to mountain. Students of Scottish history will recognize layers of narrative—monastic routes, whisky ports, fishing grounds, and the strategic narrows of the sounds—encoded in the disposition of towns and tracks. And lovers of landscape will find enduring touchstones: the Mull of Kintyre’s headland, the deep amphitheater of Loch Indaal, the austere symmetry of Jura, and Mull’s mountainous heart, each elegantly situated within Stanford’s quiet, authoritative design.

Cities and towns on this map

• Campbeltown
• Oban
• Dunoon
• Tarbert
• Islay (various settlements)
• Mull (including Tobermory)
• Jura

Notable Features & Landmarks

• Coastlines and inlets of the Hebrides.
• Principal settlements such as towns and villages.
• Major routes and roads connecting various locations.
• Natural features such as hills, rivers, and lakes.
• Administrative boundaries of the regions within Argyll.

Historical and design context

• Created in 1904 for Stanford’s London Atlas of Universal Geography.
• Compiled and published by Edward Stanford, Geographer to Her Majesty (notable for high-quality geographical maps in the early 20th century).
• Large folio format; printed area approximately 61 x 50 cm (24 x 19.5 inches); issued as a folding map on a single side (blank verso).
• Traditional early 20th-century cartographic style with clear delineation of landforms and settlements.
• Varied color tints used to differentiate areas and features, characteristic of Stanford’s oeuvre.
• Focus on political and physical geography, including coastlines, islands, principal settlements, and routes.
• Captures the region’s topography and settlement patterns before extensive modern development, reflecting early 20th-century understanding of Scottish geography.

Please double check the images to make sure that a specific town or place is shown on this map. You can also get in touch and ask us to check the map for you.

This map looks great at every size, but I always recommend going for a larger size if you have space. That way you can easily make out all of the details.

This map looks amazing at sizes all the way up to 90in (230cm). If you are looking for a larger map, please get in touch.

Please note: the labels on this map are hard to read if you order a map that is 16in (40cm) or smaller. The map is still very attractive, but if you would like to read the map easily, please buy a larger size.

The model in the listing images is holding the 16x20in (40x50cm) version of this map.

The fifth listing image shows an example of my map personalisation service.

If you’re looking for something slightly different, check out my collection of the best old maps to see if something else catches your eye.

Please contact me to check if a certain location, landmark or feature is shown on this map.

This would make a wonderful birthday, Christmas, Father's Day, work leaving, anniversary or housewarming gift for someone from the areas covered by this map.

This map is available as a giclée print on acid free archival matte paper, or you can buy it framed. The frame is a nice, simple black frame that suits most aesthetics. Please get in touch if you'd like a different frame colour or material. My frames are glazed with super-clear museum-grade acrylic (perspex/acrylite), which is significantly less reflective than glass, safer, and will always arrive in perfect condition.

This map is also available as a float framed canvas, sometimes known as a shadow gap framed canvas or canvas floater. The map is printed on artist's cotton canvas and then stretched over a handmade box frame. We then "float" the canvas inside a wooden frame, which is available in a range of colours (black, dark brown, oak, antique gold and white). This is a wonderful way to present a map without glazing in front. See some examples of float framed canvas maps and explore the differences between my different finishes.

For something truly unique, this map is also available in "Unique 3D", our trademarked process that dramatically transforms the map so that it has a wonderful sense of depth. We combine the original map with detailed topography and elevation data, so that mountains and the terrain really "pop". For more info and examples of 3D maps, check my Unique 3D page.

Many of our maps and art prints are chosen as thoughtful gifts for homes, offices, studies and meaningful places.

Choose a framed option for the easiest ready-to-hang gift, or choose an unframed print if the recipient may prefer to select their own frame.

We make orders locally in 23 countries around the world, so gifts can often be produced close to the recipient. This helps them arrive faster, travel more safely, and avoid customs or import duty surprises.

• We can deliver directly to the recipient
• Framed pieces arrive ready to hang
• Unframed prints are carefully packed in a strong protective tube
• Almost every order is made locally, for faster, safer gifting
• 90-day returns give the recipient time to decide

If you are not sure what to choose, please contact us. We can help you pick the right map, size, finish or delivery option.

Most orders are made locally and delivered in around 2–3 working days, depending on the product, size and destination.

We print and frame maps and artwork in 23 countries around the world, so your order is usually made close to you or your recipient. That means faster delivery, less time in transit, and no customs or import duty surprises.

Personalised and customised pieces usually take an extra 1–2 working days, because we prepare your design and send it to you for approval before printing.

Very large framed orders can take a little longer, as they need extra care in production and delivery.

Every order is carefully packaged: unframed prints are sent in a strong protective tube, while framed pieces are securely packed with protective materials around the frame.

If you need your order by a particular date, please contact us before ordering. We’ll check the best production route and delivery option for your location.

Express delivery is available at checkout for most countries. Next-day delivery is available in the UK, US, Singapore and the UAE.

Your order is covered by our 90-day returns policy and 5-year guarantee.

Read our full delivery and local production guide

My standard frame is a gallery style black ash hardwood frame. It is simple and quite modern looking. My standard frame is around 20mm (0.8in) wide.

I use super-clear acrylic (perspex/acrylite) for the frame glass. It's lighter and safer than glass - and it looks better, as the reflectivity is lower.

Six standard frame colours are available for free (black, dark brown, dark grey, oak, white and antique gold). Custom framing and mounting/matting is available if you're looking for something else.

Most maps, art and illustrations are also available as a framed canvas. We use matte (not shiny) cotton canvas, stretch it over a sustainably sourced box wood frame, and then 'float' the piece within a wood frame. The end result is quite beautiful, and there's no glazing to get in the way.

All frames are provided "ready to hang", with either a string or brackets on the back. Very large frames will have heavy duty hanging plates and/or a mounting baton. If you have any questions, please get in touch.

See some examples of my framed maps and framed canvas maps.

Alternatively, I can also supply old maps and artwork on canvas, foam board, cotton rag and other materials.

If you want to frame your map or artwork yourself, please read my size guide first.

My maps are extremely high quality reproductions of original maps.

I source original, rare maps from libraries, auction houses and private collections around the world, restore them at my London workshop, and then use specialist giclée inks and printers to create beautiful maps that look even better than the original.

My maps are printed on acid-free archival matte (not glossy) paper that feels very high quality and almost like card. In technical terms the paper weight/thickness is 10mil/200gsm. It's perfect for framing.

I print with Epson ultrachrome giclée UV fade resistant pigment inks - some of the best inks you can find.

I can also make maps on canvas, cotton rag and other exotic materials.

Learn more about The Unique Maps Co.

Map personalisation

If you're looking for the perfect anniversary or housewarming gift, I can personalise your map to make it truly unique. For example, I can add a short message, or highlight an important location, or add your family's coat of arms.

The options are almost infinite. Please see my map personalisation page for some wonderful examples of what's possible.

To order a personalised map, select "personalise your map" before adding it to your basket.

Get in touch if you're looking for more complex customisations and personalisations.

Map ageing

I have been asked hundreds of times over the years by customers if they could buy a map that looks even older.

Well, now you can, by selecting Aged before you add a map to your basket.

All the product photos you see on this page show the map in its Original form. This is what the map looks like today.

If you select Aged, I will age your map by hand, using a special and unique process developed through years of studying old maps, talking to researchers to understand the chemistry of aging paper, and of course... lots of practice!

If you're unsure, stick to the Original colour of the map. If you want something a bit darker and older looking, go for Aged.

See some amazing examples of Aged maps.

If you are not happy with your order for any reason, contact me and I'll get it fixed ASAP, free of charge. Please see my returns and refund policy for more information.

I am very confident you will like your restored map or art print. I have been doing this since 1984. I'm a 5-star Etsy seller. I have sold tens of thousands of maps and art prints and have over 5,000 real 5-star reviews. My work has been featured in interior design magazines, on the BBC, and on the walls of dozens of 5-star hotels.

I use a unique process to restore maps and artwork that is massively time consuming and labour intensive. Hunting down the original maps and illustrations can take months. I use state of the art and eye-wateringly expensive technology to scan and restore them. As a result, I guarantee my maps and art prints are a cut above the rest. I stand by my products and will always make sure you're 100% happy with what you receive.

Almost all of my maps and art prints look amazing at large sizes (200cm, 6.5ft+) and I can frame and deliver them to you as well, via special oversized courier. Contact me to discuss your specific needs.