Where We Come From, vol. 4
The last baronet was Sir Godfrey McCullouch of Ardwall. He was beheaded at Edinburgh on March 26, 1697 for shooting William Gourdon. The clan members left the area in large numbers and migrated to Ireland and North America. The primary area of settlement in Ireland was Ulster, principally in the counties of Antrim, Down, and Tyrone.
The McCulloch clan was found in the northeast corner of Scotland in the Ross-shire district. The McCullochs of Scotland descended from two groups: the McCullochs of Myretoun descended the McCullouchs of Drummoral and Mull and the McCullochs of Piltoun descended the McCullochs of Cadboil.
The McCulloughs were closely allied with the MacDonalds and the MacDougalls through land holdings and marriages throughout the period of the clans. The name McCullough is recognized as being a sept of the clans MacDonald, MacDougall, Ross, and Munro.
One legend says that the family is descended from Ulgric, the grandson of Owen Gallvus, king of the Cludienses, or Strathclyde Britons. Ulgric was killed leading the gallant but wild and undisciplined Gallovidians (natives of Galloway) in the van of King David’s army at the Battle of the Standards in 1138. Ulgric and Douvenald were vice-sovereigns of Galloway, the McCullochs, Mackuloghs, or Culaghs holding sway over the lands of Ulgric, and the McDowalls over the lands of Douvenald.
Another legend states that the name McCulloch derives from a warrior of earlier lineage. Gwallawc or The Hawk of Battle, a Gallovidian chieftain of the sixth century, whose battles were celebrated by the ancient bards and is reputed, in local legend, to have be buried beneath the Standing Stones of Torhouse. His descendants thus took the name Mac-Gwallawc.
