URQUHART
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A surname derived from the lands of Urquhart on Loch Ness. William Urquhart was a Sheriff of Cromarty and married a daughter of the Earl of Ross in the 14th century. Craigston Castle , 10 miles south-east of Banff was the seat of the Urquhart family from 1604 tothe present day. Their ancestral fortress was at Castle Craig, Udale Bay, on the Cromarty Firth.
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WALLACE
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The name Wallace means 'Strathclyde Briton' and is therefore considered a 'native' name. It was prominent in Ayrshire in the 13th century, and also in Renfrewshire. Richard Wallace or Richardston or Riccarton, who
lived in the 12th century, is the first noted of the name. He was in the service of Walter Fitz Alan, first Steward of Scotland. His grandson, adam, had two sons, Adam, 4th Laird of Riccarton in Ayrshire, and Malcolm, who received the lands of Elderslie and Auchinbothie in Renfrewshire. Malcolm was the Father of Scotlands hero, Sir William Wallace (1274-1305) who led the revolt against English rule before his demise and the advent of victory achieved on the battlefield by Robert Bruce.
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WEIR
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A name of Norman origin from one of the places named Vere in France. The first of the name to be recorded in Scotland is one Radulphus de Ver, who was taken prisoner at Alnwick along with William the Lion. The Weirs of Blackwood, Lanarkshire, claim descent from this gentleman, although they only appear on record in 1400, when they obtained their lands.
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WEMYSS
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From the lands of Weymss in Fife. The first recorded of the name was Michael de Methkil, sometimes known as Michael de Wemys. John Wemyss, created 1st Lord wemyss of Elcho in 1628, and 1st Earl of Wemyss in 1633, eventually espoused the cause of the Covenant.David 2ndEarl, constructed at his own cost the harbour of Methil in 1649.
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