A NEWLYWED took time out of his honeymoon yesterday to return the drawings he salvaged ten years ago to the historical Cromarty home of the famous artist who drew them.

Vinnie O'Connell discovered that the letters and drawings he found belonged to acclaimed artist Charles Bannerman, and yesterday he donated them for display at the artist's former home, the Hugh Miller's Birthplace Cottage and Museum.

Mr O'Connell came across the collection of letters and drawings in a shed in South London a decade ago.

After research and assistance from the people of Cromarty, he discovered that Bannerman once lived in Church Street in the property now owned by the conservation charity, the National Trust for Scotland.

He has now decided to donate the collection to the charity, who will display them to the public in their museum which commemorates the life and work of geologist and author Hugh Miller who was born on the site in 1802.

The new pieces were handed over yesterday by Mr O'Connell who is on honeymoon in the area with his new wife Helen.

Charles Bannerman (1912-1993) was an eminent artist and illustrator who moved to Cromarty after his retirement in the early 1970s.

He had a very successful career as an artist and illustrator, producing the first British drawings of Kellogg's "Snap, Crackle and Pop" and working for many years on cartoons for newspapers, including the famous "Jane".

During his time in Cromarty, he was one of the founding members of the Cromarty Group - artist friends who still exhibit annually. He also produced illustrations for, among others, the Scots Magazine and Readers Digest.

Property Manager Dr Alix Powers-Jones said, "Miller House is clearly a very lucky building to be associated with previous residents of such high calibre in Hugh Miller and Charles Bannerman. These papers and drawings are an exciting find and will be a wonderful addition to the museum here. We are very grateful to Mr O'Connell, not only for saving them from languishing in landfill, but also for his determination in detecting their origin and history.

"It is a great honour to hold these records and give them a homecoming.

"Cromarty clearly has a powerful pull, as it is not only recorded in many of Bannerman's paintings, but it also attracted Vinnie and his new wife to spend their honeymoon here on the Black Isle."

A quiet, polite man, Bannerman was very self-deprecating about his work, believing it to be rather "chocolate-boxy".