Introduction
Hugh Miller was a celebrated Victorian writer, journalist and geologist. Born in Cromarty, he wrote several popular books about Scotland's geology and folklore. He was a self-taught man who inspired many young Scots to realise their own ambitions.

Hugh Miller became a best-selling author in his own lifetime. He had an insatiable curiosity in the world around him and wanted to share his knowledge with others;

Look for these in your school or local library;

• Scenes and Legends of the North of Scotland, 1835
  A collection of legends, stories and customs from the north east of Scotland. With fantastical stories and ghostly goings-on, this book caught the public's imagination and is still popular.

• Old Red Sandstone, 1841
  Miller explored more than 10,000 miles of Scotland's geological features. This book, recording what he found, was a hit. It sold in its thousands across Europe and the New World. Miller had written a bestseller about the science of geology - quite an achievement.

• My Schools and Schoolmasters, 1854
  Miller's own story about his childhood and later years spent in Cromarty. This honest account of his own journey to wisdom and fame inspired many young Scots to believe in themselves.

His uncles took Miller in hand and helped him develop his many talents. Uncle James told him stories of the Black Isle - the beginnings of Scenes and Legends - and Uncle Sandy awoke his curiosity in the natural world. They also introduced him to the world of books.

Rocky Road
Miller left school at fourteen and became an apprentice stonemason at seventeen. The work was hard but, in his free time, he studied nature and developed his writing skills. During this time he made his first important fossil find on Eathie shore;

Q: What other kinds of fossils might you find?
[fossil trees, ferns and other plants, fish, birds and reptiles, sea insects, sea urchins]

Paper and Stone
After becoming ill with silicosis, Miller worked as an ornamental stone carver but he continued to write. In 1829, his first work was published; a collection of poems and various letters to the Inverness Courier. A year later, he met his future wife Lydia Fraser but her mother would not let them marry.

Facts and Figures
To improve his prospects, Miller took a job at the local bank. The brain-numbing work was not to his liking and the hours were long. He did find, though, a skill for predicting the next bankruptcy!

At last, Lydia's mother allowed the young couple to marry and they settled in Miller House, next door to his childhood home.

	Crisis in the Church [part of calotype photo]!!!! In 1843, five hundred ministers left the Church of Scotland to form the Free Church of Scotland. Everyone went to church in those days and many were unhappy that landowners could choose the local minister. In outrage, Miller wrote a letter to Lord Brougham. The letter, printed as a campaign leaflet, made Miller a leading figure in the protest.

	Miller the Journalist After Miller's letter was published, the Free Church ministers asked him to edit their new twice-weekly paper The Witness. His controversial style was popular and the paper sold almost as many copies as The Scotsman.

A Tragic Death
After years of overwork Miller's health began to suffer. He had stabbing headaches, dizzy spells and terrifying nightmares. On Christmas Eve 1856, after writing a suicide note, he shot himself. His death shocked Scotland and thousands of people crowded onto Princes Street on the day of his funeral.

Hugh Miller, the stonemason who rose to fame, was an inspiration to Scotland's working classes. He was one of them and, if he could achieve such heights, then so could they.

	Famous Friends Q: Miller corresponded with other famous Victorians, including Thomas Carlyle and Charles Darwin. What is Darwin most famous for? A: His theory of evolution

	Pirates of the Black Isle! Miller's great grandfather John Feddes was a buccaneer - a 17th-century adventurer who plundered merchant ships in the West Indies. Returning home with a kist of Spanish gold and silver doubloons (coins), he built the small cottage where Miller was born a hundred years later.

Hugh Miller's Cottage
Hugh Miller's Cottage was built in the 18th century by Miller's great grandfather and is one of Cromarty's oldest houses. It still has a thatched roof and cobbled courtyard. It was built from local stone and clay with a straw or heather thatch. Timber was scarce at that time, and people were economical with raw materials.

The cottage looks as it might have done during Miller's childhood; parlour and kitchen downstairs, bedrooms upstairs. Miller lived here until he was 17 and he did all his studying and writing in the tiny, cramped bedroom.

	Cromarty was once a fishing town and inside the cottage there is a 'hanging lum' where fish catches were smoked over the fire. Q: Why is the fireplace called a 'hanging lum?(If you have a fireplace in your home, think of its shape)

Miller House
This was Lydia and Hugh's family home for their first three years of marriage. Miller House is much grander than the cottage and has far more space. As a bank accountant, Miller could afford a bigger and better home.

A Strange Fish
Pterichthys milleri - a weird and wonderful ancient species of 'winged' fish discovered by Miller and named after him.

Find out more about Hugh Miller, his life and work at:

Hugh Miller's Birthplace (Highlands & Islands region)

You can also download this leaflet (PDF).

Glossary:

Folklore
Ancient legends, superstitions and beliefs which are told to children by parents or grandparents. Handed down from generation to generation, some stories can be hundreds of years old.

Silicosis
A disease of the lungs caused by inhaling silica dust - a hazard of working as a stonemason.