The collection comprises plans of mine workings for ironstone, fireclay, limestone, baryte and metalliferous minerals for Scotland dating from 1872 onwards deposited on abandonment of a mine in compliance with the coal and metalliferous mines regulation acts. The plans are held on behalf of the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) and total about 610 plans. Indexed in the BGS Plans Database Index. As the collection relates to plans of mines abandoned after the 1872 Act, the holdings are fairly complete after this date. The Metalliferous Mines Act originally applied only to mines employing more than 12 men, (eg. some limestone mines). Where non-coal minerals were worked with coal, the abandonment plans are retained by the Coal Authority. Coal Authority also holds exclusively non-coal mine plans not covered by Mine Abandonment Plan collection. All non-confidential data held by NGRC Edinburgh (National Geological Records Centre). Mainly coalfield areas of Central Scotland with large collection relating to the Leadhills-Wanlockhead mining district.

The collection comprises photographic half plate black & white negative and 35mm colour transparency copies of plans of mine workings for haematite, gypsum, limestone, baryte and metalliferous minerals for Cumbria dating from 1872 onwards. The plans were originally deposited in compliance with the Coal and Metalliferous Mines Regulation acts. The original plans are currently held by Cumbria County Record Office on behalf of the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) and total about 1240 plans. No digital index is available but a paper catalogue is provided by the Health & Safety Executive. As the collection relates to plans of mines abandoned after the 1872 Act, the holdings are fairly complete after this date. Note however, that the Metalliferous Mines Act originally applied only to mines employing more than 12 men, (eg. some limestone mines). Coal Authority may hold non-coal mine plans not covered by Mine Abandonment Plan collection.

The collection includes colour microfilm aperture card copies of 7,170 plans of mine workings for coal and oil shale dating from 1872 onwards deposited on abandonment of a mine in compliance with the Coal Mines Regulation Act. An additional c.5,000 coal 'working' plans, mostly pre-dating 1872, formerly belonging to British Coal, have been added to the abandonment plan collection. The latter are held as black & white microfilm aperture cards. The collection includes plans of workings for other minerals, notably ironstone, where worked with coal. The microfilms are held on behalf of the Coal Authority who hold the original plans on behalf of the Health & Safety Executive (HSE). Original plans are held by the Coal Authority, Mansfield. No complete digital index held by BGS. An up to date finding aid is provided by the Coal Authority's paper 'Catalogue of Plans of Abandoned Mines'. The collection is believed to be fairly complete for mines abandoned since the 1872 Act. Plans were added from the British Coal plan collections to fill gaps in holdings, particularly for mines abandoned prior to 1872. Relates to coalfield areas of Central Scotland.