Sir archibald geikie biography of martin

Sir Archibald Geikie lived from 28 December 1835 to 10 November 1924. He was an eminent geologist who did much to place the geology of Scotland, literally, on the map.

The wider picture in Scotland at the time is set out in our Historical Timeline.

Archibald Geikie was the older brother of James Geikie, also a noted geologist. He was born in Edinburgh and educated at the Royal High School before commencing his studies at Edinburgh University.

Sir archibald geikie biography of martin luther

At the age of 20 in 1855 he took up a post as an assistant on the British Geological Survey. He rapidly established himself both as a very capable geologist and as a very effective writer about geology. In 1858 he published the first of a long line of books on the subject, The Story of a Boulder; or, Gleanings from the Note-Book of a Geologist.

This brought him to the attention of the leading geologist of the day, Sir Roderick Murchison