 The name Urquhart derives from the 7th-century form "Airdchartdan", itself a mix of Gaelic "air" (by) and Old Welsh "cardden" (thicket or wood).Pieces of vitrified stone, subjected to intense heat and characteristic of early medieval fortification, had been discovered at Urquhart from the early 20th century.Speculation that Urquhart may have been the fortress of Bridei son of Maelchon, king of the northern Picts, led Professor Leslie Alcock to undertake excavations in 1983.