The Cruise of the Betsey: and Rambles of a Geologist

Hugh Miller, born in poverty in Cromarty, Ross-shire, Scotland in 1802 (d. 1856), was a self-taught stonemason, writer and geologist. In his lifetime his name was known not just in Scotland but across the English-speaking world. His luminous and reader-friendly writings on his fossil studies earned him the title of ‘the supreme poet of geology’. This account shows the full range of his interests - the lyrical descriptions of the scenery show a deep affection for the Scottish landscape, while his role as a serious journalist is highlighted in his discussions on the Highland Clearances and the consequences of the Disruption of the Church of Scotland. A facsimile edition of Hugh Miller’s notes recording his rambles around Scotland in the mid 1840s was published by NMS Publishing in 2003 - the first edition for over a century and long out of print itself. This reprint has minor amendments, a new cover and ISBN.