Hugh Miller heirloom found on South African beach

Debbie Reid, Visitor Services Manager at Hugh Miller’s Birthplace Cottage & Museum, says: ‘There is some mystery as to how the ring ended up in South Africa. Photographs of Hugh Miller’s children show his daughter Harriet wearing a ring that is very similar to the one found. We know from records that Harriet travelled to Australia in 1870, and her children returned to the UK in 1884. Many routes to Australia would have stopped in southern Africa during this time, so it is possible the ring was lost on one of these journeys – but we will never know for certain.’

After the ring was found, it was very generously donated through the Friends of Hugh Miller Group to Hugh Miller’s Birthplace Cottage & Museum in Cromarty, where it will now be on display for the very first time. It will be housed next to a mourning brooch already in the collection, and the story of its discovery is hoped to attract many visitors.

Alongside the mourning ring, Hugh Miller’s Birthplace Cottage & Museum is also hosting a pop-up exhibition in collaboration with Carrick Artists Collective, from 21 March to 4 May. Hugh Miller once explored Carrick while visiting Ayrshire, and this exhibition will highlight its beauty and the links with Cromarty.

Donations and events like this help to support our vision to care for, share and protect Scotland’s natural and cultural heritage, as outlined in our strategy launched in 2022, and contribute to our engagement objectives to provide access and enjoyment for everyone.