2017 is the 420th anniversary of the Great Witch Hunt of Scotland
by Ken McDonald
The year 2017 marks the 420th anniversary of the Great Witch Hunt of Scotland, which took place between March and October 1597 and was instigated by James VI. According to the Survey of Scottish Witchcraft, more than 3,800 people, both men and women, were accused of witchcraft in Scotland during the period 1563 to 1736, which is when the Witchcraft Act was enforced in Scotland*. It is believed that as many as two-thirds of those accused were executed.