In February 1662, Margret Wylie, a woman of middling socioeconomic status and an indweller of the burgh of Montrose in Forfar, became caught within the judicial mechanisms of the Scottish state regarding the crime of witchcraft. Her legal journey began during a period of heightened intensity in the prosecution of such offences, culminating in an appearance before the central authorities in Edinburgh. Recorded in the Register of the Privy Council (RPC) as a resident of her community, Margret was identified as the subject of case number C/EGD/1454, marking the formal initiation of proceedings against her.
Following her apprehension, Margret underwent an interrogation process that resulted in a formal confession, documented in February 1662. While the specific nature of the testimony she provided or the particular accusations leveled against her remain absent from the surviving trial notes (T/LA/287), the existence of a recorded confession serves as a pivotal point in her case file. By the middle of that month, Margret had been transported to the capital, where her trial proceeded under the oversight of the high courts, representing the formal conclusion of her encounter with the early modern Scottish legal system.