MacLeod Family Memorial
Tarbat Discovery Centre

Tarbat Discovery centre is home to this large, outdoor marble and stone memorial to the MacLeod family.   

It names Patrick and William MacLeod, sons of Donald MacLeod Esquire of Geanies, who died aged 32 and 28 respectively. Both men served in the armed forces and died abroad during different conflicts.   

The decorative marble slab depicts a drum and cannon to represent Patrick’s time in the British Army. The anchor represents William’s service in the Royal Navy. The lion in the centre is a symbol of the British Empire.   

Only a very wealthy family could afford such a grand memorial. The wealth of the MacLeod of Geanies family can be connected to the transatlantic slave trade. James Craufurd MacLeod of Genies (1775-1821) was a slave owner and slave merchant in the South American colonies of Demerara, Essequibo, and Berbice (today known as Guyana). James Craufurd MacLeod is commemorated on a separate plaque within the enclosure.