In the spring of 1662, the parish of Auldearn in Nairn became the site of a legal inquiry that would eventually encompass Agnes Torrie. A married woman residing within this community, Agnes was identified in the court records under case number C/EGD/473, which formally documented her appearance before the authorities on April 14, 1662. Her situation emerged against the backdrop of a broader period of intense judicial scrutiny regarding witchcraft, during which the local ecclesiastical and civil structures were particularly active in investigating individuals suspected of forming illicit pacts or practicing malefice.
The judicial proceedings against Agnes moved forward with the scheduling of her trial, designated as T/LA/1862. Within the formal framework of the Scottish legal system of the seventeenth century, this trial represented the culmination of the allegations brought against her. While the records maintain a stark, bureaucratic focus on the dates and designations of her legal encounter, they illustrate the gravity of the scrutiny faced by Agnes, as she was brought to account for her alleged involvement in witchcraft within the jurisdiction of Nairn.