Ahead of Falkirk’s SPFL clash with Rangers on Sunday 12 April, Gordon Duncan caught up with former Heriot‑Watt University FC striker and Football Scholar Barney Stewart to reflect on his meteoric rise from university football to Scotland’s top-flight.

Barney Stewart has been a revelation since joining Falkirk in late 2024. The striker signed for the Bairns from Heriot‑Watt University on 24 October 2024, before immediately returning on loan to the university side until the end of the calendar year. Upon joining Falkirk full‑time in early 2025, Stewart made his senior debut against Queen’s Park on 11 January, before going on to make 16 appearances in the Scottish Championship, scoring twice and playing a key role in the club’s second successive promotion.

Stewart was among the first cohort to join Heriot‑Watt University’s Football Scholarship Programme in 2022. The innovative programme, designed to support players in balancing full‑time academic study alongside competition in BUCS and the East of Scotland Football League, was a key factor in his decision to move to Edinburgh. Central to that pathway was access to elite coaching, academic flexibility and world‑class facilities at Oriam, Scotland’s Sports Performance Centre, providing an environment capable of supporting both high‑performance sport and degree study.

Arriving at Heriot‑Watt as a raw but promising youngster, Stewart quickly began to make his mark. Predominantly utilised as a substitute during his first season, he found the net 13 times in 28 appearances. In subsequent seasons, the striker developed into one of the most prolific goal scorers in the university’s recent history, recording 55 goals in 57 starts, with an impressive goal‑to‑minutes ratio of just 98.6.

The talented student‑athlete balanced his football commitments alongside studying BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise Science at Heriot‑Watt University, benefitting from the comprehensive scholarship support structure that acted as a launchpad for his ambition of becoming a professional footballer. Speaking to Oriam upon signing for Falkirk FC, Stewart praised the programme for allowing him to combine full‑time study with elite‑level football.

Reflecting on his introduction to Oriam, Stewart said:

“The thing that struck me most, as soon as I walked into the building in first year, was how professional the environment was. You see the Scotland national team training here, you see Hearts, you see out‑and‑out professionals training on pitches of the highest quality and at the highest level — and it really motivates you to aspire to reach those levels.”

Now competing at the top level of Scottish football following a successful loan spell at Dunfermline FC, Stewart has continued his ascent with Falkirk, scoring consistently and establishing himself as one of the most talked‑about young strikers in the country. His performances have not gone unnoticed, with growing discussion around interest from clubs higher up the football pyramid.

Alongside his club form, Stewart has earned call‑ups to two successive Scotland Under‑21 camps, further underlining his rising profile on the national stage. His journey from university football to the SPFL stands as a powerful example of the evolving pathways now available to aspiring footballers. With his progression continuing at Falkirk and strong academic foundations laid at Heriot‑Watt University, Stewart’s rise highlights how elite performance, education and opportunity can converge and suggests that the best chapters of his career may still lie ahead.