What we know and don’t know today
As of the spring of 2026, there are about ten R1a McCulloch descendants who have done a Y DNA test through FamilyTreeDNA at the Y111 to Big Y levels. Even with such limited information, we can tell a lot about the various McCulloch lines and how they are related to each other.
Clan McCulloch is an armigerous clan without a chief since the John McCulloch of Barholm in 1851. There are not any known existing records indicating the line of Clan McCulloch chiefs. Charters and other documents do not designate any of the McCullochs as “of that ilk” to identify a chief. However, it is inferred that the laird of Myretoun, as the clan seat, was also chief.
Myretoun and other McCulloch estates changed hand from time to time, particularly due to marriage to McCulloch cousins. Thus reference to McCulloch of Myretoun is not strictly speaking a genetic line. Rather, the title pertains to ownership of a particular estate, and the feudal power, rank, rights and obligations associated with it. For instance, when Henry McCulloch of Killasser, the younger, married Margaret McCulloch of Myretoun, his descendants included both “of Myretoun” and “of Killasser” in their family designations, respectively.
The earliest documented laird of Myretoun is Sir Thomas McCulloch of Myretoun, born around 1363. However, both Walter Jameson McCulloch and Andrew McCulloch indicate Sir Patrick McCulloch (born about 1300) was previously laird of Myretoun.
McCulloch of Myretoun. Myretoun is recognized by the Court of Lord Lyon as the senior line. We can infer that McCulloch of Myretoun chiefly line was Haplogroup R1a and R-BY32010. In 1504, James IV raised Myretoun to a Burgh of Barony while Alexander “Cutlar” McCulloch was the Laird of Myretoun. This male line failed around 1530 at the time Symon McCulloch of Myretoun’s daughter, Margaret, married Henry McCulloch of Killasser.
McCulloch of Cardiness. The McCulloch of Cardiness was the senior cadet line, thus likely branched from Myretoun about 1220. The first of this name was Gilbert McCulloch of Cardiness in the 15th century. (We might speculate that the forename Gilbert comes from Gilbert McCulloch, a valet of King Edward III and one of the earliest recorded McCullochs). Upon the extinction of the Myretoun line around 1530, Cardiness became the senior line until its own male line failed around 1583 upon the marriage of William McCulloch of Myretoun (descendant from Killasser) to Marie McCulloch , heiress of Cardiness. Because we can infer that Killasser descended from Cardiness, we can determine that Killasser was genetically related (descendant from) Cardiness.
McCulloch of Barholm Lines. The original family descends from McCulloch of Cardoness. However, Major John McCulloch (d. 1666) appears to have descended from McCulloch of Drummorrell. He likely received Barholm as tocher upon marriage to the heiress of Barholm. His descendants were recognized as chief in 1814 by the Court of Lord Lyon.
McCulloch of Ardwall (Nether Ardwall). According to Walter Jameson McCulloch , this line descends from Cardiness. This was the line of geologist John MacCulloch. Walter Jameson McCulloch descended from this family through a maternal line. This line remains in Galloway.
McCulloch of Ardwell – which has several descendants in the Family Tree DNA McCollough Project – is a direct branch off of McCulloch of Myretoun around 1478 when Alexander McCulloch of Myretoun conveyed Ardwell to his brother Andrew. Around 1635, John McCulloch of Ardwell acquired Myretoun by purchase. John was succeeded by his son and grandson, Sir Alexander and Sir Godfrey McCulloch of Myretoun. Each were Baronet of Nova Scotia. American descendants of McCulloch of Ardwell are haplogroups R-BY32021 or the closely related R-FTB84667. This is the line of the McCollochs of Short Creek West Virginia.
McCulloch of Killasser (later also Myretoun). The earliest known McCullochs of Killasser include Henry McCulloch of Killasser, the elder, who was born around 1425 and Finlay McCulloch of Killasser. Based on the genealogies of members of the McCollough Project, we can infer that McCulloch of Killasser was R-BY169112 or closely related. Based on a 1662 Retour (and supported by the 1814 Coat of Arms of McCulloch of Barholm), we can be sure that Killasser descended from Cardiness. Famous descendants include Confederate Generals Henry Eustace and Benjamin McCulloch.
McCulloch of Drummorrell. The first recorded McCulloch of Drummorrell was Robert McCulloch, a burgess merchant in Kirkcudbright. Based on the genealogy of two members of the McCollough Project, we can infer that McCulloch of Drummorrell was R-BY169408. This politically connected line of merchants scattered from Whithorn to Ayr, Stirling, Glasgow, Edinburgh, and America.
McCulloch of Kirkclaugh. Walter Jameson McCulloch indicates this branch may descend from Cardiness and/or Barholm because the estate was previously part of the Cardiness lands. However, it is noteworthy that the McCullochs of Kirkclaugh shared similar forenames and professions as burgess merchants in Kirkcudbright with the McCullochs of Drummorrell.
McCulloch of Auchengool. This line is a branch of McCulloch of Kircklaugh.
McCulloch of Torhouse. The McCulloch of Torhouse began with Finlay McCulloch of Torhouse. Circumstantial evidence suggests that Finlay McCulloch of Torhouse was close kin to McCulloch of Killasser. If so, this implies that McCulloch of Torhouse was downstream of Cardiness.
McCulloch of Inshanks and Mule Lines. The original line is known to descend from McCulloch of Torhouse. However, two men named James McCulloch of Inshanks and James McCulloch of Muil are sometimes conflated. The latter man, James McCulloch of Muil, was the brother of Alexander McCulloch of Drummorrell, the younger. Further, the later McCulloch of Barholm were recognized as Chief by virtue of descent of James McCulloch of Muil.
McCulloch of Torhousekie. This line is a direct branch of McCulloch of Torhouse.
McCulloch of Cadboll (Ross-Shire). This northern family line must have branched from Myretoun prior to 1398. The first of known McCulloch in Ross-shire was Alexander McCulloch in the late 14th century. He was granted lands in Ross-Shire by Alexander, Lord of the Isles. This line later become known as of Plaiddis or Pilton. This family was septs of Clan Ross, then Clan Munro. When constructing his memorial at Greyfriars, Sir John McCulloch of Pilton included the McCulloch of Ardwell coat of arms by matriculation.
McCullochs and McCulloughs in America. The current Y DNA data can help genealogists break through family trees. Plus, the more Y DNA data that is collected, the more the McCollough Project will be able to identify each brand of the McCulloch tree.
Credit: John Macculloch (1773–1835), Geologist, Surgeon and Civil Engineer by Benjamin Rawlinson Faulkner (1787–1849)
Note: Clan McCulloch Society is not affiliated with FamilyTreeDNA and does not speak on behalf of it or its administrators.