Police confirm discovery as family informed
Police Scotland have confirmed that a man’s body was discovered in woodland close to Forest Road, Cumbernauld, at around 10.15am on Friday, 17 July 2026, during ongoing enquiries linked to the search for Robert Miller, who had been reported missing from the Seaton area of Aberdeen. Formal identification has not yet taken place. Officers have notified Mr Miller’s family of the development. The death is currently not being treated as suspicious and a report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal.
“Around 10.15am on Friday, 17 July, 2026, police discovered a man’s body in a wooded area near Forest Road, Cumbernauld. Formal identification has still to take place, however the family of Robert Miller, 59, who was reported missing from the Seaton area of Aberdeen have been informed. The death is not believed to be suspicious and a report will be sent to the Procurator Fiscal in due course.”
Mr Miller had been the subject of appeals after he was reported missing from Aberdeen nearly two weeks earlier. Police previously noted he had connections to Cumbernauld and that he was last seen on Sunday 5 July in the vicinity of Glasgow’s Charing Cross Station. Officers subsequently concentrated aspects of the search in North Lanarkshire, where the discovery was made on Friday morning.
Timeline of key events
| Date | Location | Development |
|---|---|---|
| Early July 2026 | Seaton, Aberdeen | Man reported missing to Police Scotland. |
| Sunday 5 July 2026 | Charing Cross, Glasgow | Last confirmed sighting reported by police appeals. |
| Friday 17 July 2026, 10:15 | Forest Road area, Cumbernauld | Body of a man located in nearby woodland. Family informed; identification pending. |
What happens next
Police Scotland have stated that the death is not believed to be suspicious. In Scotland, when a death is deemed non-suspicious, officers prepare an initial report for the Procurator Fiscal, who oversees the legal process relating to deaths and determines whether any further inquiries are required. The identity of the deceased will be confirmed through formal procedures in due course. No further details have been released at this stage.
Officers have not issued additional appeals since the discovery, but their earlier statements noted Mr Miller’s links to both Aberdeen and Cumbernauld, which framed the areas of focus for the search. The notification of his family reflects the standard approach when a body is found and there is a reasonable possibility of a link to a missing person case.
Local context and community impact
The development will be felt keenly in the Seaton community, where the missing person appeal initially resonated, and in areas of the central belt where sightings were reported. Missing person investigations often rely on public information to trace movements across multiple locations; in this instance, the last known sighting near Charing Cross Station and Mr Miller’s links to Cumbernauld guided lines of inquiry beyond Aberdeen. The discovery in woodland near Forest Road underscores the breadth of searches that can be required when a case spans several local authority areas.
While formal identification is pending, police have indicated there is no evidence of criminality. That position typically means specialist officers will continue to support close relatives while statutory processes progress. The community can expect confirmation of the deceased’s identity from Police Scotland when those checks conclude. Until then, officers have asked for understanding as the family is kept informed.
Practical information
- Police state that the death is not suspicious, and a report will go to the Procurator Fiscal.
- Formal identification has not yet taken place; updates are expected when procedures are completed.
- Previous police appeals placed the last confirmed sighting in Glasgow with known links to Cumbernauld, which informed search activity outside Aberdeen.
Police Scotland have not released any additional information at this time. Anyone with relevant knowledge from the period around early July in the areas mentioned may wish to retain details should officers issue further appeals following the formal identification process.
