Witches well

Here, at the threshold of Edinburgh Castle, where the cobblestones of the Royal Mile open into the vast Esplanade, we stand before a small, often overlooked bronze relief known as the Witches’ Well. To the casual observer, it is…

To understand the intensity of the Scottish witch trials, one must look toward the throne. King James VI of Scotland, who would later become James I of England, was not merely a passive observer of the trials; he was an active…

Among the thousands of stories that haunt this Esplanade, few are as poignant or as revealing as that of Agnes Sampson. Known as the 'Wise Wife of Keith,' Sampson was a respected elderly woman in her community, a healer who…

The case of Gayless Duncan provides a fascinating insight into how accusations often began at a local, domestic level. Duncan was a young servant girl in the household of David Seaton, a local official in Tranent. …

A critical component of the judicial process during the witch trials was the physical examination of the accused for the 'Devil’s Mark.' According to the prevailing demonology of the time, when an individual entered into a pact…

The Scottish witch craze did not end because the belief in magic vanished overnight, but rather because the legal and intellectual climate of the country began to shift. By the early 18th century, the religious upheavals of the…

While our focus is here in Edinburgh, the story of Lilias Adie from the coastal town of Torryburn provides a unique analytical perspective on the fear of the 'revenant' witch. Lilias was a woman in her 60s, accused of witchcraft…

As we conclude our time at the Witches’ Well, we are left with a profound sense of the historical layers that define Edinburgh. This small bronze plaque is a vital touchstone, anchoring the grand narratives of kings and…