If the onset of Spring, or even the Easter holidays are making you want to #GetOutside more, make sure you brush up on your map reading skills first.

Map reading is an essential skill for any explorer or outdoor enthusiast, but can seem really daunting if you haven’t looked at an OS map since your Geography GCSE. To help you to get the most out of your map, and to explore the British countryside, we teamed up with Steve Backshall for a series of videos. They take you through the basics of map reading step by step to help you feel confident with your map.

Watch the full video playlist on map reading skills here:

More map reading advice

Go back over our blog series from last year for more detail:

Download our map reading booklet or map reading made easy peasy booklet (aimed at children) for a handy reminder of the whole series.

If you’re looking for some inspiration on places to visit, check the #GetOutside site.

Or, if you need some maps now that you’ve brushed up on your map reading skills, visit our leisure shop. As well as paper maps (and all OS Explorer and Landranger maps now come with a mobile download of the area), you can find out more about OS Maps, our online subscription service.