In the early winter of 1577, a sombre proceeding took place in the cathedral kirk of Ross, where Christiane Roiss from the village of Canorth, near Tain, stood accused of participating in witches' meetings. Christiane, whose case appears in the historical records under November 28 of that year, faced charges that were all too common during the fraught and fearful climate of early modern Scotland. Such trials were often held under special commissions, frequently with royal backing, demonstrating the seriousness with which the perceived threat of witchcraft was treated. The records indicate that Christiane's trial was conducted with just such a commission from the king himself.
On that late November day, Christiane's trial concluded swiftly with a guilty verdict. The council of judges, acting within the authority granted by royal writ, recorded her confession—a common and pivotal aspect of witch trials, often extracted through means best left unspoken. Her sentencing led to the harrowing climax of many such trials: execution by burning, a fate that befell numerous others accused under Scotland's stringent witchcraft laws from 1563 to 1736. The execution was carried out on the very day of her trial, reflecting the swift and severe justice systems of the time. Christiane Roiss's story stands as a poignant reminder of a turbulent period in Scottish history, marked by fear and the tragic loss of countless lives to the witch trials.