Born at Brindisi, 10 August 1867, the eldest son of Lieutenant-Colonel Alexander Charles MacLeod, MRCP, FRCS, by his third wife Ann, daughter of George Golland. He was a grandson of John MacLeod, MD, Surgeon-General of Madras. Charles MacLeod was educated at Shrewsbury School, and entered the Westminster Hospital Medical School on 1 May 1886. He served as senior house surgeon at Westminster Hospital, and then became clinical assistant at the Evelina Hospital for Sick Children and in the eye, ear, and skin departments at the Westminster Hospital. In 1898 he was appointed anaesthetist to the Westminster Hospital and to the National Dental Hospital, posts which he held until 1904. Failing to obtain the post of assistant surgeon at the Hospital he went into general practice, first as assistant and then as partner to Dr G L Turnbull of Ladbroke Grove, Notting Hill, the partnership being dissolved in 1907. MacLeod moved to 70b Ladbroke Grove in 1907 and soon acquired a large general practice. He married on 5 October 1898 Edith Ann, fourth daughter of Frederick John Budd-Budd of Restlands, Horsted Keynes, Sussex. She survived him with three sons and two daughters. Two of the sons hold the diploma of FRCS. He died in London on 9 January 1939 and was buried at Kensal Green cemetery. MacLeod was the eldest surviving member of the Bay branch of the MacLeods of Skye, popularly known as the Clan Mhic Mac Alasdair Ruaidh, to which belonged the famous Gaelic poetess Mairi Nighean, and his great-grandfather was one of the boat crew which rowed the Young Pretender to safety in the Isle of Skye.