A Map of Common Good in Scotland
A hand-drawn map showing the weave of care, community and mutual aid that binds us thegither.
Forget typical maps showing mountains and motorways, whisky trails and waterfalls. This is the Scotland you know, but have never seen mapped before.
Created by Turadh in collaboration with illustrator Jessica Bolevin, this hand-drawn map is a proud celebration of the guid folk, guid deeds and guid hearts that shape our common life. It’s not for tourists. It’s for all of us who know and love, live and work in this braw and bonnie land.
From the four corners of the map, kindly spirits from Scottish folklore blow gusts of goodness across cities and towns, mountains and glens, woodlands, moorlands, wetlands and islands. The scale measures kindness in ripples, waves, swells and tides. And the compass points in four directions: Tend, Mend, Lend and Befriend.
Look closely and you’ll spot tree planters and seed collectors, swap shops and repair cafes, ceilidhs, choirs, community larders and allotments. And out in the Atlantic, among the seals and selkies of the Western Isles, a message in a bottle drifts towards whoever needs to find it reassuring them that “ye’re no alone.”
We want to see this map hung up in homes and offices, staff rooms and community halls, cafes, pubs, bothies and libraries all over Scotland. Here’s how you can help to make it happen:
Buy One, Give One. Because it’s generosity that keeps us a’ gaun.
Map on a Tea Towel. Give it to the folk who always roll up their sleeves.
Art Print with Wooden Hanger. Easy to hang, quick to lift spirits.
Framed Map of Common Good. Made to last, like the web of care itself.
About The Map
A Scottish Map of Common Good was inspired by the people who have stayed at Turadh during its first few years, and the many stories of kindness and care they have shared with our team. We feel honoured to welcome so many of those who work hardest to look after people and places across Scotland: carers and campaigners, land workers, youth workers, health workers and educators, as well as many of the incredible folk who keep our food banks, advice centres, village halls and safe refuges running. Our guest books testify to the vast web of goodness that stretches all across this country, so often unseen and unsung. We dreamt of making a map that would celebrate the quiet weave of kindness and care that binds our country together. And when Jessica Bolevin came to stay in Glenelg, we knew that we had found the best person to bring this idea to life.
About The Artist
Jessica Bolevin first visited Turadh in 2023 while studying for her degree in illustration at the University of Edinburgh. She left us two beautiful watercolours as a parting gift, which are now up on the wall at Taigh Whin enjoyed by guests every week. When we opened our woodland cabin Feada Coille in 2024, Jessica painted a slab of rock with images of Scots pine and heather so that weary guests arriving on the long and windy roads through Torridon would know that they had found this special place. In 2026, we approached Jessica with our dream of designing A Scottish Map of Common Good. She eagerly accepted the challenge and dazzled us with her beautiful, playful approach. You can see more of Jessica’s work on her website and Instagram. She is keen to hear from and collaborate with all those committed to the flourishing of people and places across Scotland.
