From Inveraray, Stuart started piping at the age of nine and was originally taught by his grandfather, the late Pipe Major Ronald McCallum M.B.E. and later, Arthur Gillies. He has also had tuition from Jim Henderson and Hugh MacCallum.
For seven years he was a member of the Scottish Power Pipe Band thereafter joining the Simon Fraser University Pipe Band from Vancouver, Canada with whom he played for eleven years. In 2005 he founded Inveraray and District Pipe Band with a group of local young players. They rose through the ranks rapidly, going on to win the Grade 1 World Pipe Band Championships in 2017 and then again in 2019.
A piano tuner by trade, he is also a piping instructor at Mid Argyll Primary and Lochgilphead High Schools.

In solo piping, Stuart has won every major solo prize, including the Gold Medals at the Argyllshire Gathering and the Northern Meeting, the former winner's Clasp at the Northern Meeting, the Bratach Gorm at the Scottish Piping Society of London and he has won the Glenfiddich Piping Championship, on three occasions - 2009, 2014 and 2020.
His truly brilliant solo performances have inspired many to take up this most difficult of all instruments. Students, young and older have benefited from his incredible ability to motivate and influence their journey and stimulate creativity.