Stuart has extensive experience of evaluations and excavations from prehistoric to early 20th-century. Prior to joining CFA in 2001, he was a site assistant and supervisor on a variety of projects for AOC Archaeology Ltd, University of Edinburgh and Ministere de la Culture, Burgundy, France.

Stuart has directed and co-directed evaluations of many sites throughout Scotland and Cumbria, undertaken in advance of pipelines, housing developments, wind-farms, quarries, telecommunications towers, industrial and infrastructure developments, conducting both desk-based and field studies and overseeing the production of final reports. These sites range in time from the Mesolithic to the pre-recent, including Roman, medieval and industrial sites. He has extensive experience of conducting evaluations of linear routes, examples being the A8000 Spur Road and the M77 to East Kilbride Eaglesham bypass.

He has directed a wide range of excavations including a Rural Medieval Settlement at Dunbar, East Lothian, a 19th-century boatyard at Camelon, Falkirk and a Roman field system at Wigton, Carlisle. He acted as project manager and site director on an excavation of extensive Bronze Age remains at Alloa, Stirlingshire in advance of a railway development. He has also undertaken standing building recordings and upland surveys.

He has produced over 50 technical reports for clients.