In the early 17th century, amid the pervasive fear of witchcraft in Scotland, Isobell Young of East Barns, Dunbar, found herself at the heart of one of the country’s notorious witch trials. Born to a life of relative prosperity as the wife of a portioner, Isobell's commercial activities in money lending and selling cloth and dairy products enabled her to maintain a significant household with numerous servants. However, such economic independence also positioned her as a target for suspicion, her reputation for witchcraft rumored to persist for over four decades by the time of her trial in 1629.
The charges against Isobell were grave, centering around allegations of attending witches’ meetings, a serious accusation according to the witchcraft statutes of the time. Her complicity was further complicated by associations drawn with other accused women, such as Margaret Melrois and Jonet Achesoun, who were named as her accomplices, and Katharine Gray, who was identified as a known witch. Testimonies collected in trials of others, like Oswald, implicated Isobell, citing her influence and possibly even leadership in the diabolical assemblies that catalyzed her eventual denunciation. Depositions against her had accumulated over the years, dating back to 1619 and 1624, and were primarily lodged at local ecclesiastical settings, underscoring the community's long-held suspicions.
Isobell’s trial took place in Edinburgh on February 4, 1629, characterized by complex legal arguments that extended into the following day. Despite these defenses, the verdict was staunchly against her, resulting in a guilty pronouncement. The court sentenced her to be executed at Castle Hill, where she was to meet her fate by strangling and subsequent burning—a grim culmination of the panic and social tensions that marked the witch trials of the era. Her conviction underscores the period's harsh judicial measures and societal fears surrounding alleged witchcraft and its perceived threat to the community.