In the autumn of 1577, the legal machinery of the Scottish judiciary turned its attention toward the Ross region to address the case of Katherine Neyne Donald Roy. On October 25, Katherine was brought before the authorities to face formal proceedings under the Witchcraft Act, a period when the Scottish state was beginning to systematize the prosecution of those suspected of diabolical pacts and maleficium. The documented record, preserved under file C/JO/3362, identifies her not merely as a subject of regional suspicion, but as a formal defendant navigating the complexities of sixteenth-century ecclesiastical and secular law.
The trial, recorded under T/JO/2156, represents a specific moment in the legal history of the Highlands, documenting the transition of Katherine from an accused member of the community to a participant in the judicial process. While the sparse nature of these surviving records limits our understanding of the specific grievances leveled against her, the existence of both a case file and a distinct trial register confirms that Katherine was subjected to the full scrutiny of the state. These documents serve as an enduring testament to the gravity with which the authorities in Ross approached such allegations during the early years of the witch trials.