To provide a scanning method for a scanning probe microscope not narrowing a field of view for observation, reducing drastically an affect of a vibration due to a mechanical scanning system, and obtaining an image without affect of noise or distortion, and the scanning probe microscope.

A control circuit 9 controls a scan signal generator 10 to supply an X drive circuit 8 and a Y drive circuit 7 with scan signals, and sets a scan stop period to the scan signal supplied to the X drive circuit 8, for example. Namely, the scan stop period (t) is set for a period between the end of a linear forward scan signal Sf and the start of a linear backward scan signal Sb. Also the scan stop period (t) is set for a period between the end of the linear backward scan signal Sb and the start of the linear forward scan signal Sf. The scan stop period (t) is set to a period until a damping of a mechanical system disappears after the end of one linear scan by a mechanical drive for a probe 1 in X direction.