Map Reading

Give your kids more time

Our lifestyle today means that for the first time ever, our children could have a lower life expectancy than us. Their physical and mental wellbeing is directly related to the amount of time they spend outside.

A Tale of three Norths

When you first start to map read or work with a compass, the one element that always causes most confusion is that of North! We should all know that the top of the map is North - but which one?

The 2017 Map Reading quiz!

In time for National Map Reading Week, test your map reading skills with our map reading quiz.

Teacher training: how to make map skills fun

Adrian Hall of Active Outdoor Discovery is an Outdoor Activities Instructor, Mountain Leader and Expedition leader - and has spent the last few years inspiring children to learn all about maps

Who knew? - Women can read maps after all!

Blonde Two (Fi Darby) explains her own personal journey with map reading and finding a new confidence to navigate. Discover how you can too!

Becoming a navigator

The OS GetOutside Champions recently learnt how to navigate with just a compass and a map thanks to the team at Ultimate Navigation School – find out how they got on and how you can join a course.

How to spot history in your OS map

Mary-Ann Ochota, OS GetOutside Champion & author of Hidden Histories: A Spotter’s Guide to the British Landscape reveals some of the most common archaeological clues you’ll spot on an OS map.

Top tips for map reading

Want to start navigating your way to new adventures? Map reading skills are essential for exploration. We asked our OS GetOutside Champions to suggest their tips for better map reading and more fun with maps.

The history of pub names

History-lover and GetOutside Champion Mary-Ann Ochota explores some of the history behind Britain's much loved pub names – and ways that you can tell what's occurred in the years before.

National Map Reading Week Q&A

We asked on Facebook and through our Customer Services for some of the more interesting questions about map reading and navigation - here's the results.