In April of 1568, James Kilgour, a resident of Perth, found himself entangled in the webs of fear and superstition that marked the Scottish witch trials of the period. The records pertaining to James' case, catalogued under the case name C/LA/3400, provide a sparse yet telling glimpse into the charged atmosphere of the time. Residing in the district of Stormont in Perthshire, James carried a surname that defies modernisation, and his narrative unfolds within a society rife with anxiety over the supernatural. The historical documents do not yield details of the allegations made against him, leaving only the stark fact of his accusation to echo through the centuries.
James Kilgour's trial, noted under the reference T/LA/2268, took place during a period when the Scottish legal system was increasingly harnessed to confront and resolve the perceived epidemic of witchcraft. The absence of detailed proceedings in the records leaves much to be desired in terms of understanding the particular events of his trial. Nonetheless, James' story is emblematic of the era, when individuals—irrespective of gender—could find themselves accused of witchcraft, a crime that often carried grave consequences. His experience is a reflection of the broader societal tensions and the urgent legal responses that defined this tumultuous chapter in Scottish history.