John Adair (surveyor) facts for kids
John Adair (1660–1718) was a Scottish surveyor and cartographer. He was famous for making excellent maps.
A surveyor measures land, and a cartographer draws maps. John Adair was very good at both! He was even a member of the Royal Society, a famous group of scientists.
Contents
Early Life and Big Plans
John Adair first became known in 1683. He published a plan in Edinburgh for a "Scottish Atlas." This was going to be a big book of maps of Scotland.
The Privy Council of Scotland hired him for this important job. The Privy Council was a group of advisors to the King or Queen. They saw that Adair was a skilled "mathematician and mechanic."
Mapping Scotland's Coasts
From 1686, John Adair started surveying the coast of Scotland. This means he carefully measured and mapped the shoreline. He became a member of the Royal Society in 1688.
However, only a small part of his coastal survey was published. This happened much later, in 1703.
New Ways to Make Maps
John Adair might have been the first Scottish map-maker to use triangulation. This is a clever way to measure distances. It uses triangles to find exact locations on a map.
He created twelve handwritten maps that still exist today. These maps show areas like the Lothians, Stirling, Fife, Kinross, and southern Perthshire.
Challenges and Legacy
Sadly, John Adair faced many problems, including money troubles. Because of this, very few of his maps were printed while he was alive.
Even worse, most of his original handwritten maps were destroyed. This happened in a fire in 1811.
Luckily, some of his county maps were saved. They were printed by Richard Cooper, the elder in the 1730s. Thanks to these, we can still see some of John Adair's amazing work today.
