Scott James MacLeod made a dramatic and winning return to the Scotland team that secured a historic first overseas Test series success in the summer of 2010 against Argentina. Two years since his last cap, MacLeod replaced captain Alastair Kellock and pilfered an Argentine throw at the game's final lineout as Scotland led 13-9 to book a place in Scottish Rugby folklore.

MacLeod had his first RBS Six Nations Championship start in Scotland’s victory over England at Murrayfield in February 2006. But his next Six Nations start was not until two years later against Ireland at Croke Park, his 17th international, and in his next Scotland international, two weeks later at Murrayfield, he again savoured victory against England. Two months later he was in the Scotland team who won a full-international in Argentina for the first time.

Scott made his first senior appearance for Scotland on the 2004 summer tour of Australia, playing against Queensland Reds, New South Wales Country and New South Wales Waratahs and scoring a try in the second of those games. He was rewarded for his efforts on tour by winning his first full international cap against Australia at Murrayfield in the 2004 Abbey Autumn Tests, becoming the 57th player from the Hawick club to play for Scotland. After a long lay-off with an ankle injury he made his international comeback off the bench in Scotland’s victory over France in the opening game of the 2006 Six Nations. His World Cup debut also was in France, when he played as a replacement in the St Etienne victory against Portugal, and he went on to play in all four of Scotland’s other matches, starting against New Zealand.

He has also played seven matches at A international level. His debut at that level was in the win against Italy at McDiarmid Park, Perth, in February 2007, and he also played in the 2009 matches against Ireland, Italy, and Tonga. In 2010 he played against Ireland A and Italy A and was an influential figure in the A victory over Ireland at Netherdale in January 2011.

Scott was introduced to rugby at the age of 21, having previously been a keen golfer and basketball player. He joined Hawick Trades before going on to play for Hawick, with whom he won the BT Cellnet Cup in 2002 and from whom he joined The Borders professional team when it was set up that year. Scott, who represented the Borders at under-21 level, left Border Reivers to join Llanelli Scarlets for the 2006-2007 season and made his debut for the West Wales team on the visit to Ulster on the opening weekend of the Magners League. He returned to Scottish rugby in January 2008 by signing for Edinburgh.