Sir William Seton's marriage to Elizabeth Meldrum, heiress of the Meldrum family, brought the Seton's into ownership of Meldrum in the early 15th century. William was the 2nd son of Sir Alexander Seton, 1st Lord Gordon, however, William and his younger brother Henry were both killed at the Battle of Brechin on 18th May 1452, and the estate passed to Sir William Seton's son and was to remain in the Seton family for a further 7 generations.

It was their offspring that were to become Chancellors of Aberdeen, Chancellors of the St. Machar's Catherdral and of the University of Aberdeen, Chamberlaine's to the Earl of Dunfermline and progenitors of the Setons of Pittmedden, of Mounie and others. Sir William and Elizabeth's line at Meldrum ended with another Sir Alexander Seton. His eldest son, also Alexander, pre-deceased him leaving a daughter Elizabeth. His second son, John Seton of Meldrum, succeeded but died with no offspring from his marriage to Lady Grisel Stewart, daughter of the Earl of Atholl, and his 3rd son William inherited Meldrum.

As William's marriage to Anne Crighton of Fendraught was also childless, he bequeathed the Estate to his brothers' daughter Elizabeth in 1625, for her to inherit on his death. William Seton was responsible for the addition of the stone staircase in 1625 thereby creating the new entrance at the top of the stairs, blocking the original archway to the internal courtyard. Also, 1628 saw the addition of the original stable block including the central tower still prominent today with its feature of a stone-carved Royal Coat of Arms on the northeast face.  Elizabeth Seton married John Urquhart of Craigfintray, known as the Tutor of Cromarty in 1610, and after inheriting the Meldrum Estate in 1635 on William's death, passed it to her son, Patrick Urquhart. The Meldrum Estate was then to remain in the Urquhart family until 1898.

 

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