Harvie-Brown was born near
Larbert in central
Scotland, the only son of John Harvie-Brown and his wife, Elizabeth Spottiswoode, who was the daughter of Thomas Spottiswoode of
Dunipace (entitled "Thomas Spottiswoode, 6th of Dunipace"). He inherited approximately 2100 acres near Dunipace. Harvie-Brown was educated at
Merchiston Castle School, and then attended both the
University of Edinburgh and
Cambridge University. As a wealthy landowner, he could dedicate himself to ornithology and other naturalistic studies without pursuing a profession. He made ornithological visits to Norway, Russia, Finland and Transylvania. Perhaps his most famous expedition was with
Henry Seebohm to the lower reaches of the
Pechora River in 1875, when the eggs of the
grey plover and the
little stint were discovered. For many years Harvie-Brown cruised each summer among the islands of the Scottish coast in his yacht the "Shiantelle" (built in 1887 in
Fraserburgh). He, with
H. W. Feilden, collected many eggs and birds' skins from the Hebrides,
Orkney, the Faroes and even the island of
Rockall (no eggs but birds' skins in the case of Rockall). However, in January 1897 a fire almost totally destroyed the collection. Harvie-Brown died in 1916, after a number of years of ill health. His burial was at Dunipace Old Cemetery. His publications in the scientific literature number close to 250 items. He was elected an Honorary Life Member of the
American Ornithologists' Union. In 1912 the
University of Aberdeen conferred upon him the honorary degree of
LL.D. ==Bird migration and the British Association==