She achieved good grades in school and went on to study mathematics and natural philosophy at the University of Edinburgh.
In 1984, Hiddleston relocated to South Africa to become the Principal of Durban Girls' College, where she oversaw the school's move to admit all races.
She continued this work until her husband's death in 1996, after which she moved into a consulting career involving advising governments on encouraging women into STEM studies and teacher training and development.
[2] Hiddleston volunteered at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and was honoured by the University of Edinburgh Institute of Mathematics for life services to maths education in 2015.
[5] Hiddleston continued to work until age 82, when she became ill whilst on a trip to Bangladesh and was diagnosed with ovarian cancer.