In the early summer of 1670, Marie Nian Innes, a resident of Fowl in Sleat on the Isle of Skye, found herself at the center of a legal proceeding that brought her from the remote Highlands to the heart of the Scottish judicial system. On June 1st of that year, Marie appeared in Edinburgh to answer to the grave charge of witchcraft. The journey to the capital represented a significant undertaking for an individual from Inverness-shire, marking the beginning of a process that placed her life and liberty under the scrutiny of the central courts.
The resolution of the case, however, proved as abrupt as its arrival in the capital. Upon the date of her trial, it was recorded that there was no pursuer present to substantiate the allegations leveled against her. Consequently, the court deserted the diet, effectively ending the prosecution. With no evidence brought forward to support the charge, Marie was formally released, and all of her cautioners—those who had provided financial or personal guarantees to ensure her appearance—were discharged from their obligations. Thus, Marie returned from Edinburgh, the legal proceedings having concluded without a conviction.