From an early age Hamish expressed an ability and enthusiasm for drawing and painting, which has been with him throughout life. Painting in a variety of mediums but specialising in watercolour, Hamish has always imbued his work with a deeply personal response to the natural environment. His life-long relationship with land and sea emerged from family connections on the Isle of Skye and from a passion for the magnificent mountains, flowing rivers, deep lochs and gem-like islands that symbolise the beauty of Scotland. Travelling around the world with his artist wife Isabelle, from New England through Georgia, taking in the vast canyon-lands of the American west, the beautiful villages of Provence, Tuscan landscapes and Moorish southern Spain, Hamish has captured the spirit of places.

Apart from a period of service with the RAF, Hamish, between the ages of 15 and 23, trained in visual arts; studying at Glasgow School of Art and working as an apprentice to a local artist; then, for the next 12 years he was employed as an illustrator with Central Studio in Glasgow. Working latterly as a free-lance illustrator, Hamish established a strong client base in technical illustration for industrial and educational publications, utilizing specialist skills in fine art and typography to compliment the creativity of his design in corporate branding, label design, and with a particular skill in animal illustration.

In 1976 Hamish was appointed Leader of the Church of Scotland Tom Allan Centre where his vision was to develop a counselling service at The Centre situated in the heart of Glasgow; a pastoral counselling service free at the point of delivery and open to all in the community, irrespective of social status, denomination, religion, believer or non-believer. Isabelle, left her work as art teacher/therapist in a list D school for girls and joined Hamish to develop a family unit at the alcohol and drug facility in the complex. During his time as Leader a hundred counsellors were trained and ten thousand clients received counselling.

Throughout his life Hamish has exhibited regularly at home and abroad and has work in public and private collections in the UK, USA and Europe.