19. May, 2022
Murdoch Mackenzie's Sea Charts: Excellence and Criticism.
Murdoch Mackenzie's charts of the Orkney Islands published in 1750 under the title Orcades are recognized as some of the finest mapping of the 18th century. Yet the set also contained maps of the island of Lewis that were criticised some 30 years later for their inaccuracies. I have just posted two pages describing both the Orkney set, and some of Mackenzie's later charts, with the story of the controversy outlined. One page is titled Mackenzie's Orcades, and the other Orcades Controversy. I am lucky enough to have five of Mackenzie's later coastal charts, images of which I have included in the Controversy page.