Between 1563 and 1736, Scotland executed around 2,500 people for witchcraft, five times as many executions per capita than anywhere else in Europe. These people were accused of using supernatural powers to cause harm to others. Forfar saw a brutal series of persecutions between 1661 and 1663, when more than forty people were accused and twenty two women were executed.
In 2020 writer Zoe Venditozzi and lawyer Claire Mitchell QC launched the Witches of Scotland campaign to secure a pardon for those executed, a broader apology to acknowledge the suffering of those accused but not convicted (including those who died under interrogation), and a national memorial to support reflection and understanding of Scotland’s history of witch persecution. In this special event, Zoe gave a talk to Kirriemuir branch members to talk about the campaign, the history of witch persecutions and the Forfar cases in particular.
