CASTLE CRAIG TRANSFER AND STABILIZATION
To be an active participant in preserving your clan history, consider making a secure donation.

Castle Craig is a 16th century four-storied, tower house located on the Black Isle. It is Clan Urquhart’s oldest surviving artifact. The Clan’s 28th Chief, Colonel Wilkins Fisk Urquhart of Urquhart, (USAF Ret.) was the third modern Urquhart Chief to own the castle. In July of 2014, the Chief transferred the castle’s ownership to the Clan Urquhart Foundation. With the Clan Urquhart Foundation’s acceptance of this generous gift, the Foundation agreed to begin the process of stabilization in order to prevent further deterioration to the structure.

Foundation Vice-President Thomas Urquhart III was appointed by the Foundation Board as the point of contact for the castle’s preservation work.  Thomas was able to identify a reputable and experienced firm to determine the most pressing needs of the castle, Addison Conservation and Design.  John Addison began by evaluating the property for the Foundation and developed a plan to prop and stabilize the castle’s tower based on his written report and sketches.  Mick Canham, an Ecological Consultant, was retained to provide a report outlining the ecological impact of the propping activity at Castle Craig. His report determined that John Addison’s proposal would not affect bat or other species’ habitats. Based on the two reports, Historic Scotland, which must approve all work being done on the structure, has issued a formal Scheduled Monument Consent, which allows the Clan to proceed with stabilizing Castle Craig.

The Clan Urquhart Foundation is now in the process of selecting a contractor to perform the actual work. A generous donation of $20,000 from Ann Duncan of New Zealand and a partially matching donation of $10,000 from a generous anonymous donor who is a member of both the Association and Foundation, will enable this work to be completed.

Eventually, the castle will be preserved as a permanent structure of great significance to all Urquharts world-wide. As the Foundation moves through the phases from analysis to stabilization to the actual preservation of the structure, we are seeking the support of fellow Clan members.

To contribute to the stabilization and future preservation of  Castle Craig which is so significant to the Urquhart Clan history, please make a secure donation. Visit:

THE CLAN URQUHART Y LINE DNA PROJECT
HISTORY: The Clan Urquhart DNA project has been in existence since April 2001. To date 28 males with the surname Urquhart have participated. The Urquhart Project initially used Oxford Ancestor DNA for testing. Later the Clan Chief, Urquhart of Urquhart, authorized that the Urquhart Y line DNA testing be done by Family Tree DNA,Houston, Texas. It had testing advantages over the former testing company. During the nine years since the establishment of the Y Line Urquhart DNA Project those Urquhart taking the test have tended to cluster into four groups based on the documented paper trails of the male ancestors of key test participants. The Groups are identified by traditional areas in Scotland where historically Urquharts lived. The Urquhart Sub group names are: The Black Isle Group, The Dornach Peninsula Group, The Murray Firth Group, and The Unconnected Urquhart Group.

To learn more about Y Line DNA Testing click here.