In the autumn of 1577, the legal machinery of the Scottish judicial system turned toward the burgh of Tain in Sutherland to address the case of Margaret Neyn Gavin. Recorded under the reference C/JO/3356, Margaret’s proceedings began on October 25, 1577, marking her entry into the formal court records that defined the early phase of the nation’s witch trials. At this time, such investigations were conducted under the authority of the Witchcraft Act of 1563, which placed the prosecution of sorcery under the jurisdiction of the criminal courts.
Following the initial registration of her case, Margaret was subjected to the formal trial process documented as T/JO/2149. While the surviving archive provides a clear administrative trace of these events, the specific nature of the accusations brought against her remains confined to the judicial papers of the period. Through these records, Margaret remains a distinct figure in the history of Tain, reflecting the administrative diligence with which local authorities monitored individuals suspected of contravening the spiritual and civil statutes of the late sixteenth century.