Clan chief tells of curator’s sacking

A CLAN chief told an employment tribunal he sacked his curator following a row over a Victorian table and a desk.

Hugh MacLeod of MacLeod, 38, fired Maureen Byers, 57, for gross misconduct after she claimed the items were a gift from her predecessor as curator, Donald Stuart.

Prior to her dismissal in March, Mrs Byers had worked as curator for 14 years at Dunvegan Castle, Skye, the ancestral seat of the Clan MacLeod.

During most of that time she worked for Mr MacLeod’s father, John MacLeod of MacLeod. When he died in 2007 his son took over the running of the castle.

Mrs Byers is now claiming unfair dismissal against the chief of the clan MacLeod at a tribunal in Glasgow.

In evidence, Mr MacLeod said: “I needed to have complete trust in the person that was in that role and I felt that I didn’t believe the story about Donald.”

Mr MacLeod said that one day while checking furniture that was to be sent away for restoration, Mrs Byers told him one of the tables was hers.

Mrs Byers’s representative, Helen MacLean, asked him if had queried this at the time and he replied: “Not at the time because I had other things to do”.

The tribunal before employment judge Alan Strain continues.