The ordeal of Janet McNicol began in February 1662, when she was first accused of witchcraft in Rothesay, Bute, and subjected to two days of recorded examinations and confessions. Her case was deeply entangled with the broader social anxieties of the period, as she was denounced by several contemporaries, including Jonet Morisone, Elspeth Spence, Margrat NcWilliam, Cirstine Ballantyne, and John Gely. Following these initial testimonies, Janet successfully evaded the reach of the courts for twelve years, disappearing from the historical record as she lived under the shadow of the charges brought against her.
In October 1673, Janet’s long period of evasion came to an end when she was brought before the authorities in Bute. The judicial proceedings focused on the charges of attending a witches' meeting, a central element of the accusations leveled against her. After providing a further confession, Janet was found guilty on 15 October. Nine days later, on 24 October 1673, the sentence was carried out; she was executed by being strangled and burned.
