Margaret McGuffok, known by the ominous moniker "the witch of Barneweill," hailed from the rural settlement of Barnweill in Tarbolton, Ayr. Her life, like many others condemned during Scotland's witch trials, is primarily encapsulated in the sparse and often grim records of legal proceedings. On the 12th of June, 1587, Margaret found herself accused of the crime of witchcraft—a charge that would seal her fate irrevocably. Her case, catalogued under C/LA/2643, connects with various entries, albeit with very little substantive detail to fully flesh out the nature of her alleged transgressions or the evidence levied against her.
Margaret's trial took place in Edinburgh, a city which at the time served as the center of Scotland's judicial activities. The outcome was conclusive: Margaret was found guilty, as recorded in Trial T/LA/1739. The judicial system in early modern Scotland often treated such allegations with severe penalties, and Margaret's sentence was no different. She was condemned to die by strangulation, followed by the burning of her body, a common practice meant to serve as a stark warning to the populace against the perils of witchcraft. Her execution was carried out, though the records do not detail the exact sequence of events leading up to Margaret’s final moments. Nonetheless, her story stands as a testament to the fraught period of Scottish history where fear and superstition often culminated in tragic ends.