National Trust for Scotland

A small booklet picked up for a few pence in a second-hand book-shop in Haworth about a year ago. Its a National Trust guide to the Hugh Miller’s birthplace museum in Cromarty. An ordinary little boy becomes a working stonemason while continuing to pursue his early enthusiasm for geology. His discoveries make very valuable contributions to this (at the time) embryo science, he published considerably probably his best known work was: The Old Red Sandstone, published in 1841. Moving to Edinburgh on appointment as editor of the Witness with an office on the Royal Mile he became vocal and very well known for promotion of evangelical causes and at the time of his death was working on reconciling religious dogma with the geological record. Tragically Miller committed suicide on Christmas Eve 1856. This is a good wee potted history of the main course of Miller’s life and leaves me keen to read more about this “Lad o’Pairts”… (mer)