Timothy Pont

Timothy Pont (c. 1565 - 1614) was the first man to produce a detailed map of Scotland. He was the son of Robert Pont, a notable cleric and politician. He studied at St Andrews University between 1580 and 1583. He spent the late 1580s and the 1590s travelling throughout Scotland, mapping the country. Between 1601 and 1610 he was the minister of Dunnet Parish Church in the north of Scotland. His map of Scotland was published in 1654 (after his death) by Joan Blaeu in Amsterdam as part of the Atlas Novus. Pont's manuscript maps are key historical documents for their time, of inestimable importance in the fields of place-name, settlement, and other studies. Many of the maps have miniature drawings of major buildings (such as castles and abbeys), obviously sketched from life. Though on a small scale and not minutely accurate, these are of value to historians in giving an idea of the appearance of many buildings that have been altered or have disappeared completely. Pont's maps are among the earliest surviving to show a European country in minute detail from an actual survey.

External links

*http://www.nls.uk/pont/whowaspont.html is the site of the National Library of Scotland Pont Project, which gives extensive detail on Timothy and his work.