Step back in time and discover Scotland’s prehistoric past

We are excited to invite visitors to come to Hugh Miller’s Birthplace Cottage & Museum to join one of our new Fossil Walks throughout the summer and get involved in citizen science.

Over 200 years after Miller found his first fossil, we are offering visitors the chance to discover their own fossils on the Black Isle with an experience truly unique to the area. Pre-booked walks will leave from Hugh’s historic home in the town, where he was born in 1802, and walk along the shingle shoreline towards the Sutor headland guarding the Cromarty Firth.

The team at Hugh Miller’s Birthplace are proud to collaborate with a palaeontologist from the University of Aberdeen. This expert is currently studying the fossils in the Cromarty area. Our guided walks offer a unique opportunity for visitors to actively participate in citizen science. By collecting fossils from the shoreline, you can contribute to ongoing research. These fossils will be recorded, displayed at the museum for a month, and then returned to their natural habitat on the beach.

James Ryan, Visitor Services Assistant at Hugh Miller’s Birthplace, said: ’We are excited to welcome visitors to our new Fossil Walks for what promises to be an exciting journey back in time to discover an ancient Scotland that existed far before humans, mammals and even dinosaurs walked the Earth. Visitors can follow in the footsteps of renowned home-grown geologist Hugh Miller to find fossils and explore the geology that captured his attention as a young man over 200 years ago. After discovering a fossil ammonite when he was 17 years old, Miller became obsessed with studying the fossils around the town he called home, and in 1830, he found the first of his famous fossil fish from the Old Red Sandstone deposits on the Black Isle.’

Hugh Miller’s Birthplace’s fossil walks launched on 21 June 2024 and are only possible during low tide. The tours are tide-dependent, meaning times may vary each week. Further details are available on the property’s Eventbrite page, where visitors can also book a place on one of the walks.

Stone mason, geologist, writer and social justice campaigner Hugh Miller was born inside a thatched cottage in Cromarty in the early 19th century. Starting from humble beginnings, he would go on to become one of Victorian Britain’s greatest minds and a leading voice of the Scottish people.

Events like the Fossil Walks support the Trust’s vision to care for, share and protect Scotland’s natural and cultural heritage, as outlined in our strategy launched in 2022. They also contribute to our engagement objectives to provide access and enjoyment for everyone.