In September 1662, Gormyle Grant, a resident of Inverness, became the subject of a legal process under the reference C/EGD/1668. While the specific nature of the allegations brought against Gormyle remains absent from the surviving documentation, the gravity with which the authorities regarded the case is underscored by the subsequent trial records filed under T/JO/995. Although no detailed testimony or final verdict from the trial has been preserved, the archival evidence makes it clear that the mechanisms of the state were fully engaged in the pursuit of a conviction.
During the proceedings, Gormyle was subjected to a severe regimen of judicial interrogation designed to elicit a confession. The records detail a series of coercive measures, including prolonged sleep deprivation, the use of ropes to bind the accused, and the application of physical force through whipping. Furthermore, the interrogators employed more intensive methods of torment, specifically burning Gormyle’s feet and suspending Gormyle by the thumbs. These practices reflect the brutal interrogation protocols common to the era’s pursuit of those accused of witchcraft within the Scottish legal framework.