The historical records of the 1597 witch trials in Scotland introduce Margrat Og, a married woman from Mariewell, Lumphanan, in the county of Aberdeen, who found herself accused of witchcraft at the age of thirty-seven. Amidst the turbulent socio-religious climate of late 16th-century Scotland, Margrat's life took a dark turn when she was charged with forming a demonic pact and attending a witches' meeting, where, notably, her two daughters were reportedly present. These accusations were particularly grave, given that they implied participation in clandestine and forbidden gatherings that threatened the deeply held religious and social order of the time.
Margrat's trial occurred on the 24th of April, 1597, in Aberdeen—a city that, like many parts of Scotland during this period, was swept up in the fervor of witch hunts. Witness accounts played a crucial role in these proceedings, with Margrat being denounced by two other women accused of witchcraft, Beatrix Robbie and Margerat Bane. Among the charges levied against her was an allegation of causing property damage, specifically harm to animals, a common accusation ascribed to those believed to possess malevolent powers.
Convicted of her alleged crimes, Margrat was found guilty and sentenced to execution, a fate that befell many accused witches of the era. Her execution was carried out on a hill, where she was first strangled and then burned, a method intended to both punish and serve as a deterrent in the deeply superstitious society of early modern Scotland. Margrat Og's trial and subsequent execution form part of the somber history of Scottish witch trials, which reflect the complexities and fears of a society grappling with forces it sought to understand and control.