How do I read an Ordnance Survey map and use grid references?
The use of Ordnance Survey maps including four- and six-figure grid references, scale and distance, direction and bearings, height and gradient, and the interpretation of relief and land use.
An SQA Higher Geography answer on mapping skills, covering how to read an Ordnance Survey map, give four- and six-figure grid references, measure scale, distance, direction and gradient, interpret contours and relief, and link map evidence to land use decisions.
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What this key area is asking
The Application of Geographical Skills question gives you an Ordnance Survey map and resources and asks you to use them to recommend or evaluate a decision. This key area is the map toolkit: grid references, scale, distance, direction, height and the interpretation of relief and land use. Marks depend on using the map as evidence, with grid references, rather than making general statements.
Grid references
Scale, distance and direction
Height, relief and gradient
Height is shown by contour lines (lines joining points of equal height) and spot heights. The pattern of contours reveals relief: closely spaced contours mean a steep slope, widely spaced contours mean a gentle slope, and the shape shows valleys, ridges and summits. Gradient is the change in height over a horizontal distance; a steep gradient (contours bunched together) makes building roads and settlement harder and more expensive.
Linking the map to a decision
The skills paper rewards using the map as evidence. Flat, gently sloping land near a road and away from flood risk suits a new settlement; steep, high, remote relief suits forestry or conservation rather than housing. Always quote a grid reference and a named map feature when you justify a choice.
Examples in context
Example 1. Siting a wind farm from an OS map. A skills question might ask whether an upland area suits a wind farm. You would use map evidence: high spot heights and exposed, contour-rich relief show windy, elevated ground (good for turbines), the absence of dense housing reduces noise objections, and an access track and nearby road (quoted by grid reference) allow construction. Counter-evidence might be a conservation designation or a popular hill path. This links map reading to the energy topic and a justified decision.
Example 2. Choosing a settlement site. To recommend where to extend a town, you would identify flat, gently sloping land (widely spaced contours), above any river floodplain, with good road access and close to services, all cited by grid reference. You would reject steep slopes (bunched contours, high spot heights) and marshy or flood-prone ground near the river. Using the map as located evidence, rather than general statements, is exactly what the Application of Skills question rewards.
Try this
Q1. Explain how to give a six-figure grid reference for a feature on an OS map. [3 marks]
- Cue. Read the easting first, then the northing; divide each kilometre square into tenths; add the extra digit to each so the reference pinpoints a spot within the square.
Q2. Using map evidence, explain why a steep upland area is unsuitable for a new housing estate. [4 marks]
- Cue. Contours close together show a steep gradient; building is difficult and costly; the land may be remote from roads and services and better used for forestry or conservation.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of SQA exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
SQA Higher 20196 marksReferring to map evidence and grid references, explain whether the area shown is suitable for a new bypass road.Show worked answer →
Worth 6 marks. The Application of Skills question wants a justified decision using grid references and map features. Balance suitable and unsuitable evidence.
Suitable evidence (about 3 marks). Quote flat, gently sloping land where contours are widely spaced (easier and cheaper to build), a route that avoids the dense built-up area, and links to existing A-roads at named grid references. Lower relief and existing transport links reduce cost and disruption.
Unsuitable evidence and judgement (about 3 marks). Note constraints with grid references: steep contours that raise costs, a river or marsh needing bridging, woodland or a conservation area, or housing that would be disturbed by noise. Conclude with a clear judgement weighing the evidence, citing grid references throughout. Using the map as evidence, not general statements, secures the top band.
SQA Higher 20214 marksUsing map evidence, explain why a steep upland area is more suited to forestry than to arable farming.Show worked answer →
Worth 4 marks. Link map features to land-use suitability.
Relief evidence (about 2 marks). Closely spaced contours show steep slopes and high spot heights show altitude; steep, high ground is hard to plough and machinery cannot work it safely, so it is poorly suited to arable crops.
Suitability for forestry (about 2 marks). Conifers tolerate steep slopes, thin acidic soils, high rainfall and exposure, and the land is often remote from settlement (few roads or buildings on the map), so forestry uses ground that arable farming cannot. Quoting contour spacing, spot heights and the absence of farm buildings as evidence reaches full marks.
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Sources & how we know this
- SQA Higher Geography Course Specification — SQA (2018)