Born in Cromarty on the Black Isle (the National Trust for Scotland now own the thatched cottage where he was born and which had been built by his great-grandfather), Hugh Miller was initially a stone mason.

However, his inquiring mind and ability to communicate got him a job in Edinburgh writing verses, pamphlets and articles for magazines. He had a great interest in geology and published papers and then books on the subject including "The Old Red Sandstone". He pioneered research into fossils and the relationship between the different geological ages.