Nicholas Buchanan, a resident of Killearn in the shire of Stirling, found herself enmeshed in the web of 17th-century Scottish witch trials. Her name appears in the historical records as one among many accused during a period of heightened paranoia and fervor regarding witchcraft. The initial proceedings against Nicholas were somewhat convoluted; while a Dunbarton porteous roll confusingly listed her as a fugitive from Dumbarton, the records clearly confirm her residence in Stirlingshire.
Despite the ambiguity surrounding Nicholas's place of residence, her case proceeded through the labyrinthine judicial system. Nicholas was ordered to appear before the High Court in Edinburgh on January 5, 1680. The chronology and exact nature of the accusations she faced remain unclear, yet it is evident that her case advanced from a location-specific circuit court within Stirling, where accusatory documents—referred to as a "dittay"—had been submitted. Ultimately, on the appointed date, the High Court chose to desert the dittay against her. The vagueness of the trial notes leaves much about her ordeal to history's shadow: the records note that a prior proceeding at Dunbarton had also deserted her diet as of September 1679, leaving the details of her trial largely elusive.
Though Nicholas Buchanan's brush with the witch hunts ended with her release, the records do little to illuminate the personal impact of this episode on her life. Such experiences often left indelible marks on individuals and communities alike, reflecting the intense societal strains and the capricious nature of fear-induced justice of the era. Her case, set against the backdrop of Stirling, a region with its distinct historical identity, exemplifies the precarious existence many faced during the witch trial period in Scotland.