In June 1589, Margaret Suthirlan, a married woman of middling socioeconomic status residing in the parish of Kilterne in Ross, became the subject of legal proceedings concerning allegations of witchcraft. As the wife of a portioner—a small landowner holding a portion of land—Margaret occupied a respectable position within her local community. Her case, documented under the reference C/LA/2691, marks the beginning of a prolonged legal entanglement during a period when the Scottish kirk and state were increasingly focused on the eradication of witchcraft.
While the initial accusations were recorded in the summer of 1589, the formal judicial process extended significantly beyond that date. Further administrative records indicate that by 1598, her case had progressed to the point where a trial was formally ordered to take place in Ross that July. Throughout these proceedings, Margaret remained subject to the legal rigours of the time, moving from the initial registration of her case to the eventual scheduling of a judicial inquiry.