One of the more unique attractions in Scotland is a massive concrete map of the country found in the grounds of the Barony Castle Hotel, outside the village of Eddleston in the Scottish Borders.
Measuring 50 metres by 40 metres, the Great Polish Map of Scotland is said to be the largest terrain relief model in the world. It was built between 1974 and 1979, and is the brainchild of Polish war veteran Jan Tomasik.
The model was actually constructed as a thank you gift by Tomasik, who was a sergeant in the 1st (Polish) Armoured Division. He was stationed in Galashiels during World War Two, and married a Scottish nurse in 1942 after being treated for his wounds.
After the war, Tomasik decided to remain in Scotland rather than go back to Poland. He became a successful hotelier in the following years, purchasing Barony Castle in 1968.
As a gift to the country that had become his home, Tomasik decided to build a scale map of Scotland within the grounds of the castle. It was designed by cartographer Dr. Kazimierz Trafas and built by a small team across six consecutive summers between 1974 and 1979.
In 1974, Trafas and his colleague Roman Wolnik marked out the outline of the map to a scale of 1:10,000. During the construction, Polish exchange students visiting the UK were also recruited to help.
Covering an area of 1590 square metres, it is based in an oval pit surrounded by a 142-metre long perimeter wall. It even included running water for its rivers that was supplied via pipes.
The hotel closed down in 1985 following Tomasiks' death, and was later sold. After this, the scale model fell into a state of disrepair as a result of being exposed to the elements.
Years went by and the site continued to degrade. Fortunately, in 2010 a group called Mapa Scotland was formed to restore the one-of-a-kind map to its former glory.
The group is dedicated to ensuring that the Great Polish Map of Scotland remains a permanent fixture of the landscape, as well as an important educational resource and tourist attraction.
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