In the spring of 1597, the judicial authorities in Aberdeen turned their attention toward Issobel Barroun, a woman whose life and livelihood were abruptly dismantled by the legal machinery of the era. On the 9th of March, Issobel was brought to trial under charges that included entering into a pact with the demonic. The proceedings, documented under case references C/EGD/2123 and T/JO/1322, unfolded against a backdrop of local unrest, as the accusations against her extended beyond the spiritual to include significant material destruction. Specifically, legal records link her to the total loss of a whole estate and the ruin of a mill, property damages that were folded into the broader investigation of her alleged crimes.
Throughout the trial, Issobel maintained her innocence, steadfastly denying the charges leveled against her despite the severity of the proceedings. Her refusal to confess did not alter the trajectory of the court, as the tribunal delivered a verdict of guilty. The finality of the legal process was swift; on that same day, the 9th of March 1597, the sentence of execution was carried out. By the evening, the records confirm that the life of Issobel had been brought to an end, marking another chapter in the turbulent history of the Aberdeen trials.