[1] In 1937, he began a course in architecture at Edinburgh College of Art but his studies were interrupted by World War II and he did not complete the course until 1950.
In the latter role, he reconstructed the entire stage after it had been out of use for several years, finishing the job just hours before the curtain went up on the opening night.
[3] While still a student, Harris worked for a while as an architectural assistant in the Edinburgh office of Basil Spence & Partners.
The work included a 15,000-seat stadium with a distinctive cantilevered steel roof, a three-storey sports hall, field courts and a velodrome.
As part of the project, Harris visited twenty-one theatres and opera houses in West Germany and Switzerland.
But owing to delays, rising costs and problems with the design, the project was eventually abandoned, with the site remaining vacant until the late 1980s.
[10] This 608-page reference describes the origins of, and changes in, the names of over a thousand streets, roads, former farms, villages and other features in what is now the city of Edinburgh.
It is regarded by local historians as the definitive work on the subject and is frequently cited in articles and books on Edinburgh history.
His other interests included sailing, classical music, organ design and the Scots language.