William Thomas Oldrieve

From there he obtained a post in the War Office attached in a design role to the Royal Engineers, and establishing a lifelong link as an architect/engineer in a civil service capacity.

He remained attached to the Royal Engineers until 1881, during which time he was posted to Edinburgh Castle, a building with which he continued a permanent interest alongside his given role of maintaining its fabric.

He was a gifted student and won several prizes including a travelling scholarship to Europe, where he took a particular interest in Post Office design, a field in which he chose to specialise.

He retired from public work in 1914 but continued in a consultative role in a newly formed partnership entitled Oldrieve Bell & Paterson.

This was with William Wilson Paterson a former Office of Works colleague, and Andrew W Bell the former Dunfermline Burgh Engineer.

He was at the same time undergoing a major study, the National Art Survey for Scotland, with the aid of Robert Rowand Anderson and Thomas Ross.