Murdoch Mackenzie Survey (2)

It is interesting that Mackenzie subsequently recognized the error in his location of Copinsay. In the Introduction to the third edition of “Orcades” in 1776 he wrote “The island of Copinsay is laid down in the map of the South Isles two points more northerly from the mouth of Hoy Sound than it ought to be. Therefore the (sailing) direction in p.3. for making entry of that sound from the east by the bearing of Copinsay is to be followed and not the bearing on the chart”.  In fact, Mackenzie’s “Orcades” contained four maps or charts of Orkney, one of the whole of the islands and three showing northern, middle and southern portions on a larger scale.  Copinsay appears on three of these and is displaced northwards and eastwards in each case.