In the early seventeenth century, the Orkney Islands were a setting where itinerant status often drew intense local scrutiny, particularly during periods of heightened judicial interest in occult matters. William Scottie, a man of very poor socioeconomic status, navigated this precarious landscape as a vagabond, moving between the islands of Holm and Pablay. His life of transience, documented by the historian Marwick, ultimately brought him to the attention of the local authorities, culminating in his formal involvement with the Scottish judicial system during a period of rigorous anti-witchcraft activity.
On February 7, 1643, legal proceedings were initiated against William under case reference C/EGD/2307. The formal record marks the start of a process that led to his appearance before the court, as indicated by the subsequent trial entry T/JO/1396. While the specific nature of the accusations brought against him remains consigned to the formal registers of the court, the progression from his status as a vagrant to a subject of criminal litigation reflects the gravity with which the early modern Scottish justice system addressed those whose movements and standing sat outside the established social order of the island parishes.