Stuart received the prestigious Donald MacDonald Cuach from Alex Stoddard, CEO of the Clan Donald Centre, with the presentation assisted by Dr. Angus MacDonald, Convenor of the Cuach.
This marked Stuart’s tenth appearance in the Donald MacDonald Cuach and his second overall victory. He began piping at age nine under the guidance of his grandfather, Pipe Major Ronald McCallum MBE. During his early teens he continued his musical development with instruction from Arthur Gillies. As a young adult, he refined his light music under Jim Henderson of Dunoon and deepened his study of piobaireachd with Hugh MacCallum, a cousin of his grandfather, along with the influence of many other significant musicians throughout his career.
Today, Stuart is recognized as one of the most exceptionally talented pipers in the world. His competitive achievements include three Clasps and four Silver Stars at the Northern Meeting in Inverness, five victories in Senior Piobaireachd at the Argyllshire Gathering in Oban, both Gold Medals, and three Glenfiddich Championships. He previously performed with the Scottish Power Pipe Band and the Simon Fraser University Pipe Band, and he is the founder and Pipe Major of the Inveraray & District Pipe Band, which won the Grade 1 World Pipe Band Championship in 2017, 2019, and 2024.
Stuart has also earned the unique distinction of being, so far, the only person to have simultaneously held both the Glenfiddich Championship title as a soloist and led a band to a World Pipe Band Championship as Pipe Major. He serves as honorary piper to the Royal Celtic Society and was appointed MBE in the first New Year Honours List of King Charles III.
The Robert Burns Society of Charleston Inc. is recognized as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization committed to celebrating and sustaining Scottish-American heritage in the South Carolina Lowcountry. This commitment includes the promotion of historical awareness, cultural expression, and military traditions associated with Scotland. The Society fulfills its mission by hosting educational and cultural activities, supporting the mastery of traditional Scottish arts—such as Highland Bagpiping, Highland Dance, Scottish Fiddle, Scottish Harp (Clàrsach), and the Scots Gaelic language—and by providing grants and scholarships that support academic advancement within the Scottish-American community.
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