Harry was given the framed map for his 85th birthday
Megan Bonar
Glasgow and West Reporter
A grandad is enjoying fame on social media after completing a 30-year project to create a map of Scotland from rocks he collected.
Harry Young, from Newton Mearns in East Renfrewshire, travelled all over Scotland to collect the rocks used in his mosaic map.
His family framed the artwork and presented it to Harry for his 85th birthday earlier this month.
The story was shared on social media by his grandson and has been viewed more than four million times.
The amateur geologist told BBC Scotland News he has always had an interest in rocks.
“I always liked going along the beach kicking up stones when I was a boy, and I always had a lucky stone in my pocket,” he said.
After a work colleague at the Clyde River Purification Board presented him with some unique stones, he joined the Glasgow Amateur Geology Society.
And it was then that his idea of creating a map came about.
“I’d never seen it done, so I just started collecting area by area,” he continued.
“At that time I was travelling all over for work so I just collected as I went.
“Every rock you see on that map I went to that place and collected it.”
Image source, Harry Young
The map features hundreds of rocks collected from every corner of the country
Harry started making the map in 1992 and added the final piece in 2020.
He said there were hundreds of rocks on the map and some areas like the Highlands have several layers to create texture.
He added: “The last place to go was the Western Isles, so I went on a trip and told everyone to look out for the specific black and white rock I was after.
“I wanted it to look nice, to look aesthetically pleasing shall we say.”
Despite the hobby taking him all over Scotland, Harry said his favourite find, an amethyst, was found “just a stone’s throw away” from his home.
Image source, Harry Young
The project was started in 1992 and took almost 30 years to complete
Speaking about his new found fame, Harry said: “My grandson said he was going to put it out on Twitter but I told him not to bother unless it was going to go viral.
“And then it happened. I’m not on Facebook or Twitter so the whole thing seems completely absurd.
“The newspapers are saying ‘Harry is a rock star’, imagine getting to 85 and being described as a rock star, it is incredible.”
Harry said while the majority of the feedback has been pleasant, he has received some criticism for failing to include Orkney and Shetland.
He said he might take on that challenge for his next project.
