[3] As a youth MacLeod played for Drumpellier Cricket Club, where he made massive strides under the tutelage of Graham Robertson.
After making some 70 appearances with Scotland age group sides (U12 to U23), he secured a retainer contract with Warwickshire for the 2006 season, to play Under-17s, Under-19s and 2nd XI cricket.
MacLeod gained his full first-class Scotland cap when he was called up for the Intercontinental Cup match against the UAE in 2007, becoming the youngest Scottish player to debut at this level.
During the 2008 Friends Provident series MacLeod played two matches against Durham and Yorkshire and was selected for two One Day International ties against Kenya both of which succumbed to rain.
In 2014, he along with John Hastings holds the highest 6th wicket partnership in T20 history (126*)[5][6][7] MacLeod spent the 2016 season playing for Boldon Cricket Club in the North East Premier League.
[11] His first ODI cap came in the historic match against England on 18 August 2008 where he scored 10 not out from 11 balls before that game, too, fell victim to rain.
After an Intercontinental Cup match against Canada in July 2010 in which MacLeod took six wickets, the umpires reported to the International Cricket Council that his action needed to be tested.
[19] Though Scotland progressed to the preliminary finals, they lost to the Netherlands in which MacLeod scored 57 from 42 in the match and failed to qualify for the World Twenty20 later that year.
On 10 June 2018, Scotland secured the biggest win in their cricketing history with a six-run, first-ever, defeat of England with MacLeod scoring 140 not out with 16 fours and 3 sixes off 94 balls.
After completing remedial work, followed by analysis and assessment by the ICC, he is now free to bowl in all domestic, national and international competition.