In the summer of 1630, the legal machinery of early modern Scotland turned its attention toward Auchlayne in Kirkcudbright, where Isobel McNaught became the subject of judicial proceedings. On June 17, 1630, records indicate that the case against her, registered under reference C/EGD/1228, was formally opened. This administrative milestone marked the beginning of a process that would ultimately bring Isobel before the authorities to answer for allegations of witchcraft, a matter of significant concern within the social and legal framework of the period.
Following the initial registration of her case, the judicial process moved toward a formal trial, documented under reference T/LA/663. As the proceedings unfolded, Isobel was required to confront the specific accusations leveled against her within the local kirk and secular courts. While the surviving records capture the structural progression of her trial—from the initial identification of her residence in Auchlayne to the formal legal entries of the proceedings—they remain a stark testament to the experiences of individuals caught within the intense witch-hunting climate of 17th-century Galloway.