In September 1678, the legal machinery of the Scottish state focused its attention on Isobel Shank, a woman residing in the parish of Crichton, near Edinburgh. On the 13th of that month, Isobel appeared in Edinburgh to stand trial before the High Court, where the prosecution was led by the Lord Advocate. During these proceedings, a confession was formally recorded against her, providing the primary basis for the judicial outcome that followed.
Following the swift legal process, the court returned a verdict of guilty. On 18 September 1678, just five days after her confession and trial, the sentence was carried out at the Gallow. In accordance with the prevailing judicial practices of the era for those convicted of witchcraft, Isobel suffered the penalty of being strangled and burned. Her case, documented under reference C/EGD/621, remains a stark illustration of the judicial finality that characterized the witch trials during this period of early modern Scottish history.