The maps were discovered by Ronald Spencer-Jones of the North of Scotland Archaeological Society (NOSAS), who was carrying out a survey of the lands of Urchany, a multi-period deserted settlement, at the Lovat estage offices in Beauly. Whilst examining a map of the lands he realised that the office contained many other maps, some of which were unknown, even to the estate manager. Ronald was given permission to carry out a full cataloguing of the maps.
The end result was a detailed list of more than 400 individual maps and a book of 46 maps which between them depict all aspects of highland estate management, including agricultural improvement, enclosure, the planning of settlements and land ownership disputes. The collection includes the image shown on the far right, which relates to land confiscated from the 11th lord Lovat Simon Fraser, the ‘Old Fox’ after the Jacobite defeat at Culloden in 1746. Lovat was beheaded for high treason the following year.