Strengthening Scottish-Polish ties

The newly restored Great Polish Map of Scotland and a 3D model of the monument have been unveiled.

The 3D model, which has been created by Historic Environment Scotland (HES), highlights the cultural links between Scotland and Poland and will be presented as a Scottish contribution to the Polish independence centenary celebrations in November this year.

During a visit to the map’s site at the Barony Castle Hotel in Eddleston, Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop said:

“The Great Polish Map of Scotland is a fine example of Scotland’s ties and friendship with Poland. I congratulate the individuals and volunteers involved in its restoration for their incredible work.

“This restored version of the map and its digital model further strengthen the long-standing cultural connections between our nations and highlight our shared history and heritage.

“As we prepare to celebrate the centenary of Poland regaining its independence, we hope the 3D model will contribute to raising awareness of the strong bonds between Scotland and Poland.”

Ireneusz Truszkowski, Consul General of the Republic of Poland in Edinburgh, said:

“We are delighted to be able to officially unveil the restored Great Polish Map of Scotland in the same year in which Poland is celebrating its 100th anniversary of regaining independence. The map has a great potential and I hope it will be used also for educational purposes that will benefit current and future generations of Scots and Poles, increasing the understanding of our common history.”

Alex Paterson, Chief Executive of HES, said:

“We are very pleased to have collaborated with partners to digitally document the Great Polish Map of Scotland, particularly as we celebrate the European Year of Cultural Heritage. The 3D model of this unique site showcases our cutting-edge digital documentation work, and how this technology can be used to bring history to life.”

Background

The 3D scanning of the Great Polish Map of Scotland has been undertaken by HES and it involved creating a detailed recording of the map using laser-scanning, digital photogrammetry and high resolution image capture.

The interactive application highlighting Scotland’s Polish heritage has been developed in collaboration with MapaScotland and Polish-Scottish Heritage, a project developed by Polish Cultural Festival Association. It is available to view on Sketchfab.