In April of 1568, James Kilgour found himself at the heart of a tumultuous period in Scottish history, as one of the individuals ensnared by the web of witch trials that swept through the nation. Residing in Perth, a region known for its involvement in these fervent investigations, James hailed from Stormond, or what is now recognized as the district of Stormont, nestled in the broader expanse of Perthshire. The surname Kilgour itself, though mentioned verbatim in the records, could not be modernized, leaving a faint trace of his family's identity as it was in the 16th century.
The records encapsulating his ordeal categorize his plight under a specific case and trial number, C/LA/3400 and T/LA/2268 respectively, signifying the official nature of his scrutiny within the legal frameworks of the time. Although the details of the accusations against him are not explicitly detailed in the surviving documents, the serious nature of these trials is evident, often reflecting the community's intense fear and suspicion towards perceived acts of witchcraft. James Kilgour's story, like many others of this era, serves as a stark reminder of the fervor and uncertainties that defined this episode of Scottish history—a poignant chapter where societal and judicial pressures collided in a quest to root out those branded as practitioners of sorcery.