diff --git a/src/common/utilities.js b/src/common/utilities.js
index 85df393..25c1718 100644
--- a/src/common/utilities.js
+++ b/src/common/utilities.js
@@ -174,3 +174,11 @@ export function typeForPath (path) {
 export function selectTypeFromPathWithPoster (path, poster) {
   return { type: typeForPath(path), path, poster }
 }
+
+export function getEventOpacity (events) {
+  /* Events have opacity 0.5 by default, and get added to according to how many
+   * other events there are in the same render. The idea here is that the
+   * overlaying of events builds up a 'heat map' of the event space, where
+   * darker areas represent more events with proportion */
+  return 0.3 + (Math.min(0.5, 0.08 * (events.length - 1)))
+}
diff --git a/src/components/Map.jsx b/src/components/Map.jsx
index 7c9f0a1..ae340bc 100644
--- a/src/components/Map.jsx
+++ b/src/components/Map.jsx
@@ -193,16 +193,11 @@ class Map extends React.Component {
    * also has full access to the domain and redux state to derive values if
    * necessary. The function should return an array, where the value at the
    * first index is a styles object for the SVG at the location, and the value
-   * at the second index is an optional function that renders additional
-   * components in the <g/> div.
+   * at the second index is an optional additional component that renders in
+   * the <g/> div.
    */
   styleLocation (location) {
-    const noEvents = location.events.length
-
-    return [
-      null,
-      () => noEvents > 1 ? <text className='location-count' dx='-3' dy='4'>{noEvents}</text> : null
-    ]
+    return [null, null]
   }
 
   renderEvents () {
diff --git a/src/components/Timeline.jsx b/src/components/Timeline.jsx
index c358d6d..d532ba1 100644
--- a/src/components/Timeline.jsx
+++ b/src/components/Timeline.jsx
@@ -254,20 +254,16 @@ class Timeline extends React.Component {
   }
 
   /**
-   * Determines additional styles on the <circle> for each timestamp. Note that
-   * timestamp visualisation functions slightly differently from locations, as
-   * a timestamp can be shown as multiple <circle>s (one per category of the
-   * events contained therein). Thus the function below has a category as an
-   * argumnent as well, in case timestamps ought to be styled per category.
-   * A datetime consists of an array of events (see selectors). The function
+   * Determines additional styles on the <circle> for each location.
+   * A location consists of an array of events (see selectors). The function
    * also has full access to the domain and redux state to derive values if
    * necessary. The function should return an array, where the value at the
    * first index is a styles object for the SVG at the location, and the value
-   * at the second index is an optional function that renders additional
-   * components in the <g/> div.
+   * at the second index is an optional additional component that renders in
+   * the <g/> div.
    */
   styleDatetime (timestamp, category) {
-    return []
+      return [null, null]
   }
 
   render () {
diff --git a/src/components/presentational/Map/Events.jsx b/src/components/presentational/Map/Events.jsx
index 9fc557d..3df2a34 100644
--- a/src/components/presentational/Map/Events.jsx
+++ b/src/components/presentational/Map/Events.jsx
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import React from 'react'
 import { Portal } from 'react-portal'
 import colors from '../../../common/global.js'
+import { getEventOpacity } from '../../../common/utilities'
 
 function MapEvents ({ getCategoryColor, categories, projectPoint, styleLocation, selected, narrative, onSelect, svg, locations }) {
   function getCoordinatesForPercent (radius, percent) {
@@ -33,7 +34,7 @@ function MapEvents ({ getCategoryColor, categories, projectPoint, styleLocation,
       fill: getCategoryColor(locCategory),
       stroke: colors.darkBackground,
       strokeWidth: 0,
-      fillOpacity: 0.85,
+      fillOpacity: getEventOpacity(location.events),
       ...extraStyles
     })
 
@@ -108,7 +109,11 @@ function MapEvents ({ getCategoryColor, categories, projectPoint, styleLocation,
     }
 
     const customStyles = styleLocation ? styleLocation(location) : null
-    const extraRender = (customStyles) ? customStyles[1] : null
+      const extraRender = () => (
+        <React.Fragment>
+          {customStyles[1]}
+        </React.Fragment>
+      )
 
     const isSelected = selected.reduce((acc, event) => {
       return acc || (event.latitude === location.latitude && event.longitude === location.longitude)
diff --git a/src/components/presentational/Timeline/Events.js b/src/components/presentational/Timeline/Events.js
index e4a24fb..bd80ea2 100644
--- a/src/components/presentational/Timeline/Events.js
+++ b/src/components/presentational/Timeline/Events.js
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import React from 'react'
 import DatetimeDot from './DatetimeDot'
+import { getEventOpacity } from '../../../common/utilities'
 
 // return a list of lists, where each list corresponds to a single category
 function getDotsToRender (events) {
@@ -55,16 +56,26 @@ const TimelineEvents = ({
     return dotsToRender.map(dot => {
       const customStyles = styleDatetime ? styleDatetime(datetime, dot.category) : null
       const extraStyles = customStyles[0]
-      const extraRender = customStyles[1]
 
+      // const isLocated = dot.events.map(ev => !ev.latitude || !ev.longitude)
+
+      // TODO: work out smarter way to manage opacity w.r.t. length
+      // i.e. render (count - 1) extra dots with a bit of noise in position
+      // and that, when clicked, all open the same events.
       const styleProps = ({
         fill: getCategoryColor(dot.category),
-        fillOpacity: 1,
+        fillOpacity: getEventOpacity(dot.events),
         transition: `transform ${transitionDuration / 1000}s ease`,
         ...extraStyles
       })
 
-      return (
+      const extraRender = () => (
+        <React.Fragment>
+          {customStyles[1]}
+        </React.Fragment>
+      )
+
+      return (<React.Fragment>
         <DatetimeDot
           onSelect={onSelect}
           category={dot.category}
@@ -74,6 +85,7 @@ const TimelineEvents = ({
           styleProps={styleProps}
           extraRender={extraRender}
         />
+      </React.Fragment>
       )
     })
   }
diff --git a/src/scss/map.scss b/src/scss/map.scss
index 64cbba0..736c3f0 100644
--- a/src/scss/map.scss
+++ b/src/scss/map.scss
@@ -189,12 +189,6 @@
   stroke-width: 2px;
 }
 
-.location-count {
-  z-index: 100;
-  font-weight: 900;
-  fill: #d0d0d0;
-}
-
 .no-hover {
   cursor: grab;
 }