In December 1613, Robert Erskine, the heir apparent of Dun and a man of significant upper-class standing in Logie, Perth, faced a grave criminal prosecution initiated by the Lord Advocate. Known in his locality as "Johnne of Logy," Robert found himself at the center of a judicial proceeding that drew an assize composed of high-status individuals, reflecting the gravity with which his case was treated. While the specific venue of his trial remains ambiguous—not appearing within the records of the High Court of Justiciary—the proceedings were sufficiently momentous to secure a confession from him on the first day of that month.
Although the charges brought against Robert included witchcraft—a crime for which he was also named as an accomplice in the trials of Johnne Kirk, George Kirk, Gilbert Campbell, and Jonet Irving—the legal basis for his final condemnation rested upon the charge of poisoning. Following his conviction, the court issued a sentence of execution. Robert was subsequently taken to the Mercat Cross, where his life was ended by beheading. His case remains a notable instance of the intersection between noble status and the severe judicial apparatus of early seventeenth-century Scotland.
