(1797 - 1875)
The son of the wealthy landowner of Kinnordy, Perthshire, Charles was brought up in Hampshire at the request of his mother who feared that drunkenness was endemic in Scotland. Having studied Classics at Oxford, he became a lawyer but gave this up in favour of geology, encouraged by the eccentric Dr. William Buckland.
A European tour with Murchison, and his knowledge of Hutton's Theory of the Earth, provided the inspiration for his Principles of Geology (1830-1833). This text, forming the basis of modern geology, was highly controversial and greatly influenced his friend Charles Darwin who read it while on the voyage of the Beagle. Lyell cared deeply about social rank, and having already been ostracised by some of his more pious friends, was careful not to admit his support for Darwin's theory until sometime after its publication. His lecture tours of the United States in the 1840s were nevertheless highly successful.
Lyell's visit to the Cupar area in November 1838 was recorded in the Fifeshire Journal. "Professor LYELL - This distinguished geologist yesterday visited some of our most interesting localities, and was particularly struck with the beauties of Dura Den. He inspected, with great admiration, some specimens of the insects and fishes belonging to Mr. Dalgleish of Dura, and which had been exhibited at the meeting of the Fifeshire Literary and Antiquarian Society on Tuesday." He later visited Dura Den with John Anderson in 1842.