During the late Palaeoproterozoic, western Baltica was characterised by convergent-margin tectonics that resulted in the formation of N–S trending crustal units: the Transscandinavian Igneous Belt (TIB) and the westward younging Gothian growth zones. Together, these occupy a 200–300 km wide belt between Svecofennian (c. 1.9 Ga) crust in the east and the Skagerrak Sea/Oslo Rift in the west. Spatial and temporal constraints for 83 U–Pb dated rocks previously included in the TIB allow recognition of age groups at 1850, 1813–1766, and 1723–1657 Ma. However, the c. 1.85 Ga rocks should preferably not be included in the TIB because they form a tectonically distinct crustal unit (the Askersund suite). The 1.81–1.77 Ga age group is the major contributor to the TIB and corresponds to TIB 1. Westward younging of the TIB magmatism is demonstrated by the 1.72–1.66 Ga age group. Integration of the petrogenetic and spatial aspects for these rocks suggests an older magmatic phase at c. 1.72–1.69 Ga (TIB 2) and a final phase at c. 1.68–1.66 Ga (TIB 3). Recent structural, geochemical and isotopic data provide spatial and temporal constraints for the Svecofennian and Gothian developments, and for a bridging, c. 1.81–1.75 Ga tectonic stage we term the Smålandian. This tectonic stage includes the N–S trending, 1.81–1.77 Ga TIB 1 magmatism and manifests a marked shift by 1.81 Ga from previous north-directed convergence during the Svecofennian arc-accretionary event to east-directed convergence that also characterised the following Gothian evolution (c. 1.75–1.55 Ga). The early, c. 1.75–1.70 Ga Gothian evolution is still enigmatic but the subsequent development was due to westward stepping orogenesis, resulting in distinct c. 1.69–1.65, 1.62–1.58, and 1.56–1.55 Ga igneous belts between the TIB rocks and the Oslo Rift. The prolonged period of semi-continuous crustal growth during the Svecofennian-Smålandian-Gothian course appears to have ceased after the postulated docking of pre-1.60 Ga crust (“proto-SW Norway”) with Gothian crustal units of Baltica at c. 1.55 Ga. At the very least, the subsequent 1.50–1.20 Ga evolution lacks evidence for continental-margin processes east of the Oslo Rift.