Born in Glasgow, McCulloch studied at Glasgow School of Art (1953–7) and was awarded a RSA Travelling Scholarship. He gained Scottish Arts Council Awards in 1967 and 1972. McCulloch was artist-in-residence at the University of Sussex (1976) and won First Prize at the Stirling Smith Biennale (1985). McCulloch was elected a member of Society of Scottish Artists in 1964. He was elected an Associate of the Royal Scottish Academy in 1989 and a full Academician in 2005.