1. Northfield, The Rt. Hon. Lord.

Acquisition and Occupancy of Agricultural Land: Committee of Inquiry Report.

London, Her Majesty’s Stationery Office, 1979. Octavo. 378 pages. Original Softcover. Good condition with some stronger signs of external wear (some pages dogeared). Otherwise very good ! Rare ! Name of preowner on endpaper.

2. Heriot / Innerleithen / Scottish Borders – Anonymus –

Vintage manuscript map of “Road from Heriot to Innerleithen – 1843”. [With an inset of wider dirctions to Pentland Hills, Arthurs Seat / showing the River Tweed in the South and names the kinds of sheep that are kept along the road to Edinburgh (″Black-Faced Sheep” – “Cheviot Sheep”)].

Ink on Paper. [Britain], 1843. 9.8 cm wide x 17 cm high. Very good condition. Some mild browning. From a wonderful collection of maps at South Shields Library (tiny stamp verso (on the back) of this map).

3. Handcoloured Map Art of 18th century Scotland – [Millar, William] / [Grant, John] / [Leslie, William] Forsyth, Isaac / [Hugh Houstoun].

A Survey of the Province of Moray; Historical, Geographical, and Political. [Inscribed and dedicated by scottish Mapmaker William Millar / Including the amazing, large Map of Moray and the Nairn Shires by William Millar (51 cm x 49 cm) and the engraving of “Elgin Cathedral” (also by William Millar)].

First Edition. Aberdeen, Printed for Isaac Forsyth, Bookseller, Elgin, 1798. Octavo (14 cm x 21,5 cm). Folded, hand-coloured Frontispiece-Map by William Millar, Frotispiece-Engraving of the “Elgin Cathedral” , VIII, 353 pages. Original Hardcover / Original 18th or early 19th century leather with original spinelabel. The large, hand-coloured Map with a minor tear only. Corners slightly bumped. Spine slightly starting but overall in excellent condition with some minor signs of wear only. Interesting Provenance and signed manuscript dedication by the Cartographer and Mapmaker William Millar: From the library of Aberdeen Highlander, Major Hugh Houstoun, with a dedication: “April 27th, 1798 – To Major Hugh Houstoun – from his Much obliged and Humble Servant William Millar”.

4. Gilpin, William. [Castle-Freke Library Bookplates]

Collection of four Volumes (bound in two) by Gilpin – All from the historical library at Castle Freke (Castlefreke, West Cork / Ireland). The Volumes include: I. & II. Observations Relative Chiefly to Picturesque Beauty, Made in the Year 1776, on Several Parts of Great Britain; particularly the High-Lands of Scotland. [Second Edition, with an “Account of the Prints” bound to the rear] / III. Observations on the River Wye and several Parts of South Wales &c. relative chiefly to Picturesque Beauty; Made in the summer of the Year 1770 (Third Edition). / IV. An Essay on Prints – [″The chief intention of the following work was to put the elegant amusement of collecting prints, on a more rational footing; by giving the unexperienced collector a few principles and cautions to assist him”] (Fourth Edition with the printed dedication “To the Honorable Horace Walpole in Deference to his Taste in the Polite Arts; and the Valuable Researches he has made to improve them; the following work is inscribed by his most obedient and very humble servant, William Gilpin”). [Volumes I & II with 40 original illustrations and vintage 18th century maps [correctly 39 illustrations and one table], for example of Loch Lomond and the Firth of Forth/ all illustrations are vintage mezzotint-plates].

Mixed Editions. Four Volumes (bound in two). London, Printed for R. Blamire, Strand, 1792. Octavo. Pagination: Volume I: XI, [1], 221 pages with 24 mezzotints / Volume II: 195, XVI pages with 16 mezzotints and an “Account of the Prints” as well as “Translations of Latin Passages” / [Volume III]: [River Wye]: XVI, 152 pages with 16 (of 17) full – page mezzotints / [Volume IV]: [An Essay on Prints]: XIII, [3], 174 pages plus XI pages Index and 1 page Errata. Hardcover / Early 19th century quarter – morocco with gilt lettering and ornament on spine. Both volumes bound in unison. Very good + condition with only minor signs of external wear. Pages 185 – 191 of Volume I with some stronger browning. Otherwise the interior very clean. All mezzotints in very good or even better condition. This is the original copy from the historical Castle-Freke Library in West Cork (Ireland), with two armorial bookplates to front and rear pastedown with the family’s motto ‘Pro Patria’. With two pages of manuscript annotations by a contemporary hand with a reference between the common name “Tarbet” in Scotland and a place-name in County Kerry in Ireland” (pages 13 of Volume II) / another entry is on page 12 of Volume II regarding the name-sake “Loch-Loung” for a Lake of ships in Scotland and Ireland.