Map Reading

Map reading skills – advanced guides

By OS Team

Published on May 10, 2022

2 min read

Improve your navigation skills

Do you know how to read a map? Learn some of the more advanced navigation skills for more extreme adventures or just to challenge yourself. This collection of advanced map reading guides will help you become an expert navigator in no time.

Need to refresh your knowledge on the basics? Check out the Map reading – beginner’s guides.

This collection of advanced map reading guides have been put together as part of National Map Reading Week, which encourages everyone to improve their map reading skills and discover new adventures. If you’d like to teach children how to map read, check out our map reading skills for children.

Before you head out into the hills, make sure you have a compass and the right Ordnance Survey map for you.

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Advanced guide to reading contours and relief

Using contours and relief on a map, plan and navigate in remote locations where man-made features can often be rare, by using contours to find points for triangulation and route planning.

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Advanced guide to pinpointing your location

Pinpointing your location on a map is a vital skill to ensure you’re moving in the right direction and to help locate your position, if you’re lost or need to give a rescue team a grid reference in an emergency.

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An advanced guide to understanding map scale

For advanced map readers, it’s important to understand how cartographers create maps of different scales using a process called ‘generalisation’. Find out why with this advanced map scale guide.

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Advanced navigation: never be lost again

When you’re walking, running or climbing at night or in poor visibility, things don’t always go as planned. Here’s how to find your location and never be lost again.

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Guide to using a compass

Navigating using a map and a compass is a fantastic life skill and complements any GPS device. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to use compass bearings.

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Advanced guide to measuring distance

A critical part of navigation is being able to calculate distance on a map, then estimate that distance on the ground to reach your next navigation point. Here we are looking at skills for walkers and runners.

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This collection of advanced map reading guides have been put together as part of National Map Reading Week, which encourages everyone to improve their map reading skills and discover new adventures. If you’d like to teach children how to map read, check out our map reading skills for children.

Before you head out into the hills, make sure you have a compass and the right Ordnance Survey map for you.

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By OS Team