Apple has massively upgraded Apple Maps in the UK and Ireland.

The updates - available on iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch - include better road coverage, improved vehicle and pedestrian navigation and new cycling directions.

Apple Maps was much-maligned in the past of course, but the experience is much better these days and the localisation is now excellent. 

The app will now also give you more comprehensive views of roads, buildings, parks, airports and more.

Apple says it now has over 200 countries covered in Maps and makes a big play of the privacy of the Maps experience - unlike Google Maps it doesn't save a complete history of your locations like Google Maps Timeline

As well as street-level imagery, Look Around also enables you to check out major cities in 3D - in the UK this means London, Edinburgh and Dublin with more to come. 

Plus, Guides is a new way to check out interesting places to visit in cities, created by organisations such as Time Out , Lonely Planet, and the Evening Standard.

"We’re excited to bring the new map to our users in the UK and Ireland," said Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Internet Software and Services.

“We have rebuilt the map from the ground up, with better navigation, richer detail, more accurate information for places, and incredible features like Look Around, cycling directions, and curated Guides from trusted resources.