A CLAN chief who unfairly sacked a long-serving castle curator after accusing her of stealing antique furniture is refusing to hand over the items despite the threat of legal action.
Hugh MacLeod of MacLeod will fight any attempt by Maureen Byers to retrieve the Regency desk and a table she claims were given to her by the previous clan chief more than 13 years ago.
Mrs Byers, 57 – a former curator at the clan's seat, Dunvegan Castle on Skye – was sacked by Mr MacLeod in March following a row over who owned the furniture.
An employment tribunal in Glasgow ruled Mr MacLeod was wrong to sack her and Mrs Byers is now considering suing for £20,000 compensation.
The tribunal said the alleged theft of the two items of furniture had been a smokescreen for Mr MacLeod's determination to get rid of her.
The tribunal heard that neither the desk nor the table had been mentioned in an inventory of the castle's contents drawn up in 2008 after the death of Mr MacLeod's father, the 29th chief. The desk was in an earlier inventory in 1993, but Helen MacLean, the Fort William-based solicitor acting for Mrs Byers, contends the 2008 record is the crucial one as it was drawn up for probate purposes showing what he would inherit.
"As far as I am concerned my client owns them," she said.
But the MacLeod Estate has now issued a statement saying the desk was not on 2008 inventory because Mrs Byers was acting on behalf of Mr MacLeod at the time and had thought they had been gifted to her.
It continues: "The employment tribunal found that Mrs Byers, in her role as curator at Dunvegan Castle, was entitled to think that an antique Regency desk, which was subsequently shown to belong to the MacLeod Estate, was gifted to her by her predecessor, the late Donald Stewart.
"Further, that Mr MacLeod was wrong to think Mrs Byers's predecessor would have gifted an antique Regency desk he did not own as the desk in question is listed on a 1983 and 1993 Christies' insurance valuation of Dunvegan Castle's contents."
Mr MacLeod did not believe either his late father or Mr Stewart would have wanted the desk to have been removed from the Dunvegan Castle collection.
"It remains the MacLeod Estate's firm intention to continue to preserve and restore the unique historic collection at Dunvegan Castle for the benefit of the community and the 100,000 people who visit us each year."
However, Mrs Byers told The Herald she wants the desk and table back.
She said: "They were a gift to me from Donald Stewart. I had them in my possession for 13 years.
"I strongly feel that I should have them or, if they are worth anything, the proceeds should go to charity."
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