Intended Enhancements and Programme of Data Collation

The Gazetteer will develop over the coming years into a large knowledge bank for thousands of places in Scotland. It will focus on the history, geography, economy and tourist attractions of small and large settlements, as well as on the large variety of our country's geographical features, from rivers and lochs to mountains and parks. It will also bring out the connections between these places and Scotland's families and famous people, providing a major reference for the public.

Between 1999 and 2002 we have added detailed information on these settlements, features, people and families. By late-1999 we had entries for all significant settlements and by late-2002 we had covered the whole of Scotland in some depth.

Beyond 2002 we hope to continue to enhance the Gazetteer by:

• Extending the number and depth of individual entries, by adding smaller settlements and features and extending existing entries
• Adding many more photographs, maps, video clips and sounds from around all over Scotland
• Historical maps for each town and region from the collection of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society
• Historical excerpts from Groome's 19th century Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland
• Present-day and historical statistics (eg. population)
• Information regarding Scotland's local and regional commerce and industry
• We are also intending to introduce fully interactive mapping using Geographical Information Systems technology, a particular expertise of the Institute of Geography at the University of Edinburgh.

Many more enhancements will be included over the coming years. We very much welcome your suggestions.