The big idea: Option E opens with a data-response read of a real map. You are asked to pull facts straight off it.
Maps you may get
- A topographic map (like an OS or national-park map).
- A tourist town map.
- A resort/piste map.
Four core skills plus one higher skill
- Grid references — find a feature.
- Scale — measure distance.
- Direction — a compass bearing.
- Height — read contours and spot heights.
- Site suitability (the higher skill) — judge whether a place suits a tourism, sport or recreation use from what the map shows.
Accuracy and units: Every mark is read straight off the map, so accuracy and units matter.
Key cartographic terms
- Grid reference — a coordinate that locates a feature; an eastings-then-northings number (four-figure = a square, six-figure = a point in it).
- Scale — the ratio of map distance to real distance (e.g. 1:50 000 means 1 cm on the map = 500 m on the ground).
- Scale bar — the ruler on the map you use to convert map distance to real distance.
- Compass direction — the bearing of one place from another (N, NE, E, ... or an exact bearing in degrees).
- Contour — a line joining points of equal height; close contours = steep, wide contours = gentle.
- Spot height — a single labelled point giving an exact altitude in metres.
- Site suitability — how well a place fits a leisure use, judged from map evidence (access, flat land, scenery, accommodation).
Eastings first, then northings: Read a grid reference along the corridor, then up the stairs — the eastings (the numbers along the bottom) come first, then the northings (up the side).
For a six-figure reference, imagine each grid square split into tenths to pin the exact point.
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How this is tested: Paper 1, Option E opens with short databased reads worth 1-2 marks each.
The three reads
- Identify the feature at a grid reference.
- Calculate or Estimate a distance using the scale.
- State the compass direction between two places.
- Quote the units and stay within the marked tolerance.
A tourist-map symbol key (read a feature off its grid reference)
| Six-figure grid ref | Map symbol / label | Feature |
|---|---|---|
| GR 264 235 | Tent / caravan symbol | Campsite |
| GR 271 241 | Triangle 'YH' | Youth hostel |
| GR 258 229 | Anchor | Marina / boat moorings |
| GR 280 233 | 'i' in a box | Tourist information centre |
| GR 249 246 | Crossed swords | Site of a historic battle |
| GR 267 228 | 'P' in a box | Car park |
A distance-and-direction log (using a 1:50 000 map, scale bar 2 cm = 1 km)
| From -> To | Map distance | Real distance | Compass direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information centre -> Marina | 1.4 cm | 0.7 km (700 m) | SW |
| Campsite -> Youth hostel | 1.6 cm | 0.8 km | NE |
| Car park -> Battle site | 5.0 cm | 2.5 km | NW |
| Town centre -> Summit viewpoint | 8.0 cm | 4.0 km | N |
Turn map distance into real distance: Lay the edge of a paper strip along the route, mark the start and end, then hold the strip against the scale bar to read off the real distance.
On a 1:50 000 map, 2 cm = 1 km, so 1 cm = 500 m. Multiply your map measurement by 500 m (or 0.5 km) per centimetre.
Using the symbol key and the distance-and-direction log above: (a) name the feature at grid reference 271 241; (b) state the real distance from the car park to the battle site; (c) state the compass direction of the marina from the information centre.
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Height questions use contours and spot heights.
Reading height
- Height difference (or altitude gained on a trek): read the two spot heights and subtract.
- Close contours mean steep ground.
- Widely spaced contours mean gentle ground - useful when judging whether a site suits walking, skiing or camping.
Spot heights along a hill walk (read each, then find the difference)
| Point on the route | Spot height (m) | Contour spacing |
|---|---|---|
| Car park (start) | 95 | Wide - gentle |
| Lakeside path junction | 140 | Wide - gentle |
| Forest gate | 310 | Closer - moderate |
| Ridge viewpoint | 615 | Very close - steep |
| Summit cairn | 775 | Very close - steep |
Working out a height or altitude difference
- Read both spot heights off the labelled points (here 775 m and 95 m).
- Subtract the lower from the higher: 775 - 95 = 680 m of altitude gained.
- Check the contours - they bunch near the summit, so the final climb is the steepest part.
The Lake District (Keswick) — a festival and walking landscape: On a 1:50 000 OS map of Keswick in the English Lake District, a candidate festival site can be judged from the map.
What the Keswick map shows
- Flat valley land by Derwentwater.
- A bus station and A-roads for access.
- Campsites and a youth hostel for accommodation.
- Dramatic fell scenery.
- The spot heights of two nearby tops give a height difference - the kind of exact-value (e.g. 135 m) read examiners ask for.
Sagarmatha National Park, Nepal — trekking tourism: On a topographic map of Sagarmatha National Park (the Everest region), trekkers read latitude off the grid (around 27 50' N) and altitude gained between spot heights - for example a 680 m climb between two labelled points. The closely packed contours show why the trails are so steep, shaping where lodges and rest stops are placed.
Aviemore — a piste map
A piste map of Aviemore in the Scottish Highlands is read like any map: the funicular railway is identified as the quickest lift from base to top, and the run-difficulty key grades the longest run.
The Grand Canyon — a national park map
On a Grand Canyon National Park map, the scale bar gives the ~76 km length of the Colorado River between two points, and a compass gives the direction of Las Vegas (WNW) from Flagstaff.
A trekker walks from the car park to the summit cairn on the route table above. (a) Calculate the altitude gained in metres. (b) Suggest one way the contour pattern would affect the trekker's experience.
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How this is tested — Outline + Identify from the map: A tourist or topographic map (often beside a small bar chart comparing two candidate venues) is set. You must judge a site from the evidence rather than just read a single fact off it.
The command terms
- Outline [2], Identify [2] and Suggest [2].
- Why a place would suit a festival, sport or recreation use.
- Or which features make it hard to reach.
Reason PLUS evidence: The markscheme always wants a reason PLUS specific evidence - name the road, the campsite, the contour, the grid reference, or the figure read off the chart. A bare reason with no evidence caps the mark.
Read the key first. Each bar is a factor scored from what the map shows for that site - taller = more suitable.
Interactive diagram
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Using the bar chart above, describe one difference between the two candidate venues and estimate the gap in their scores for that factor.
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A site-suitability matrix (judge a leisure site from the map)
| Factor | What to look for on the map | Helps / hinders the site |
|---|---|---|
| Accessibility | A-roads, a bus or railway station, a car park symbol | Easy access HELPS a large event or resort |
| Flat, open land | Wide contour spacing, a valley floor or field | Flat land HELPS camping, stages, pitches |
| Accommodation | Campsite, youth hostel, hotel symbols nearby | Beds/pitches HELP a multi-day event |
| Scenery / attraction | A lake, coast, forest, viewpoint or summit | Scenery HELPS draw visitors |
| Water / coast | A marina, beach, lake shore | HELPS water sports; a HEADLAND suits walking, birdwatching |
| Congestion / no transport | Narrow streets, no parking, no main road | HINDERS access for away crowds |
Reason + map evidence: Every suitability mark is reason + evidence. Not "it is accessible" but "it is accessible - an A-road and a bus station lie just south of the site." Quote the actual feature, road or grid reference you can see.
Using the site-suitability matrix above, outline one reason the lakeside valley would work well as the venue for a summer music festival, supporting your answer with specific evidence from the map.
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A football stadium sits in a dense old town centre. Using a town map, identify two features of the surrounding area that would make it harder for away supporters to reach the stadium.
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