In the spring of 1597, the legal machinery of early modern Scotland turned its attention to Maly Skein, a married woman residing in the parish of Foveran, Aberdeenshire. On April 21, 1597, Maly was formally recorded within the judicial system under case reference C/EGD/2151. This administrative entry marked the commencement of a process that would see her moved from the local community of Foveran to face the scrutiny of the courts during a period of heightened preoccupation with witchcraft across the region.
The subsequent proceedings against Maly are documented in the records of the Justiciary Court under reference T/JO/1294. As was customary for those accused during the significant panics of the late 16th century, she was subjected to the formal rigours of a trial to determine the veracity of the charges brought against her. While the specific nature of the allegations remains contained within the archival shorthand of the High Court, the documentation of her case provides a clear window into the reach of the Scottish legal apparatus as it sought to resolve claims of maleficium in the North East during the closing years of the century.