he was educated at the aberdeen grammar school and university of aberdeen (ma, 1879). after graduating, he "came to edinburgh where in addition to engineering he devoted much attention to natural science. he was a favourite pupil of sir archibald geikie and a friend of sir john murray of challenger fame, and throughout his life he was an ardent student of physical geology, and in particular of the relation of geology to scenery and the economic applications of geological investigations" ("proceedings of the royal society of edinburgh").