In the late autumn of 1577, Christiane Roiss from Canorth in Tain, Ross, stood accused of witchcraft, a charge that held severe consequences in the Scotland of that era. Her trial, noted in the records under the case name Roiss, Christiane, took place on the 28th of November, within the solemn confines of the cathedral kirk of Ross. This proceeding formed part of a series of witch trials conducted under commission from the king, reflecting the intense scrutiny and gravity with which such accusations were treated during this turbulent period.
The specific charge leveled against Christiane was attendance at a witches' meeting, a serious accusation that connected her to the larger fear of collective witchcraft activities threatening the moral and supernatural order of the time. According to trial notes, Christiane's trial was accompanied by a recorded confession, a critical piece of evidence often emphasized in such cases. These confessions, sometimes given under duress, were seen as damning proof of one's engagement in forbidden practices.
Ultimately, the trial concluded with a guilty verdict. Subsequently, Christiane was sentenced to execution by burning, a common method employed in Scotland as a means of purging the community of those accused of witchcraft. The records confirm that the sentence was carried out, marking a somber conclusion to Christiane's tragic entanglement in the broader fears of witchcraft that permeated Scottish society during the late 16th century.