In 1962 she qualified with a teaching diploma in midwifery and received her Certificate in Nursing Administration from the University of Edinburgh in 1966.

As CNO she was key to the development of the Aberdeen formula, a method for calculating the number and quality of nurses required for hospital service.

She supported the training and education of nurses in Scotland and made the case for them to take up senior positions in medical services.

She was proud of the fact that, at that time, Scotland produced 50 percent of nurse graduates in the UK.

[3] The Margaret Auld Prize at the University of Glasgow was created in 1993 in recognition of her contribution to nursing and midwifery education in Scotland.