John Miller (engineer)

John Miller of Leithen FRSE MICE DL (26 July 1805 – 8 May 1883) was a Scottish civil engineer and Liberal Party politician.

[5] Miller designed and led the construction of the Almond Valley Viaduct to carry the Glasgow–Edinburgh via Falkirk line which was completed in 1842.

[7] Miller designed a planned maximum gradient of 1 in 880 with the aim of ensuring the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway was the most level main line in the UK at the time.

Miller was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 1841 his proposer being the architect William Burn.

This was originally at 132 George Street in the Edinburgh New Town[12] however he later moved to the more spacious and fashionable West End, buying a newly built townhouse at 2 Melville Crescent.

[11] He established the Polmont Mutual Improvement Association which was then left to the direction of his head gardener, William Hepburn (1823–1890), in whom he also encouraged an interest in journalism.

His daughter Katherine Monilaws Miller (b.1849) married the wealthy John Phillips of Royston in north Edinburgh.

When Hill was only known as an artist Miller gave him many commissions to paint the more scenic sections of the railway lines he was creating.

The plaque was produced by the Institution of Civil Engineers and was jointly unveiled by the ICE President, Geoff French, and East Ayrshire Provost, Jim Todd.