In 1655, Adam Barnie, a resident of Keyse in the county of Caithness, became the subject of legal proceedings concerning the charge of witchcraft. The nature of these events is preserved in the judicial records of the period, specifically within the records of the circuit court. Little is known of the specific allegations brought against Adam, as the extant documentation focuses primarily on his status within the formal mechanisms of the Scottish justice system rather than the particulars of the accusations themselves.
Adam’s connection to the legal process culminated in his designation as a fugitive from justice. According to the records found in JC17/1, a register of individuals who had absconded to avoid appearing before the court, Adam failed to answer the summons regarding his case. As a result, his legal status remained unresolved. The records maintain his name within the lists of those sought by the circuit court, yet the ultimate outcome of the case against him remains unrecorded in the surviving historical archive.