Last updated 14 September 2026
Merestone shows the environmental and heritage designations of the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands and Belgium on a fast native map for iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch, streamed live from official open data. It is free to download. The statutory core of every country and a 250 m search are free; each country's full set, the PDF and offline downloads are a one-off unlock for that country, or a subscription covers every country.
Need help or found a bug? Email leonfigueira@gmail.com, or use Send feedback in the app's Settings, which fills in your app version for you.
A layer says it's waiting for zoom. Dense national layers hold back until you zoom in, so the map stays fast. The pill at the bottom tells you how many are waiting - tap Show anyway to force them at any zoom.
How big is "Download everything"? The Offline maps screen quotes the figure for whatever you are about to download, per layer and per country, before it starts - that is the number to trust, because it moves as layers are added. Use Wi-Fi, expect a few sittings for a whole country, and download just the layers you need if you would rather. Nothing already downloaded is ever lost.
Which countries are covered? The United Kingdom - England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, each from its own publisher - Ireland, France including Corsica, Spain including the Canaries and the Balearics, Portugal with Madeira and the Azores, the Netherlands, and Belgium in all three regions. Spain also carries regional depth in the Comunitat Valenciana, Catalunya and Andalucía, and the Netherlands through the waterschappen. The Layers panel names the publisher behind every layer, and the app says where a country's coverage stops rather than leaving you to find out.
What do I get for free, and what does a purchase add? Merestone is free to download. In every country the statutory core and a 250 m search are free. Unlocking a country is a one-off purchase that covers iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch and never renews: it adds that country's full set of layers, wider searches, the PDF and offline downloads. A subscription unlocks every country instead. Prices are shown in the app.
Do I need an account? No. Purchases go through your Apple Account, and Restore purchases brings them back on a new device.
How do I get the Watch app? Open the Watch app on your iPhone, scroll to Available Apps, and install Merestone. On your wrist it shows the habitat you're standing in, or the nearest designations with distances and grid references.
My location isn't showing on the Mac. Allow it in System Settings → Privacy & Security → Location Services, then click the location button again.
Is this the same data as the government sites? Yes - Merestone streams from the same official services, live. It's an independent app, not affiliated with Defra, Natural England, the MAGIC service or any other government body, and boundaries should always be verified against official sources before professional reliance.
Merestone has no accounts and no tracking. See the Privacy Policy.
Merestone is made by Leon Figueira.