McDonald refereed two Scottish Cup Finals, the 2006 match between Hearts and Gretna, and the 2010 match between Dundee United and Ross County. He also took charge of two League Cup Finals; the 2007 Final between Hibernian and Kilmarnock, and the 2009 Final between Celtic and Rangers. McDonald refereed 221 Scottish Premier League games, five Old Firm matches, three Edinburgh Derbies, two Dundee Derbies and over 100 international matches. In addition to his four senior national cup finals, he also refereed three League Cup Semi-Finals (in 2005 between Motherwell and Hearts, in 2006 between Dunfermline Athletic and Livingston and in 2010 between Rangers and St Johnstone) and three Scottish Cup Semi-Finals (in 2003 between Inverness Caledonian Thistle and Dundee, in 2008 between St Johnstone and Rangers and in 2009 between Falkirk and Dunfermline Athletic. In 2004, he was also Fourth Official at the Dunfermline Athletic v Celtic Scottish Cup Final. McDonald was also the referee at a win by Inverness Caledonian Thistle over Celtic in the Scottish Cup in 2000 which prompted the headline in "The Sun" - "Super Caley Go Ballistic Celtic are Atrocious".