He served in the Second World War, having spent one year at Glasgow University Naval Division, before training with the United States Navy to become a pilot in the Fleet Air Arm.

[1][2] In 1951, Begg apprenticed with Harry Hubbard in Kirkcaldy before joining Neil and Hurd Architects firm in Edinburgh.

[3] He left the company in 2000, which was then renamed Né Begg and it became Morris and Steedman Associates in 2002.

[10] He also designed and built other buildings, such as the St Mungo Museum of Comparative Religion at Glasgow Cathedral.

[11]: 311 [14][15][16] He later designed a faux-Scottish castle luxury hotel in China, complete with a winery and a great hall to sit 100 people.

[11]: 311–315 [17] Ravens' Craig tower house castle in Plockton, Lochalsh was designed by Begg and built from the ground up and completed in 1992.

[11]: 308  It took 6 years to build and its layout is based on his experience working with other castles, but with some modern features like underfloor heating and a lift shaft to aid in bringing logs to the main hall.

[11]: 308  It has living space on four storeys, with a circular staircase leading to bedrooms on the upper levels, said to be based on a Francesco Borromini church in Rome (San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane).

[18][11]: 307 The Architectural Heritage Society of Scotland organised a tour of the tower house for about 50 people in 2010.

[21] When asked why he decided to sell his home he told The Sunday Post,[2] "I'm 90 now and can no longer walk as well as I could.