It was not until the beginning of the 19th century that the fear of witches began noticeably to die out. Before that it was seriously believed that certain women were endowed by the Devil with supernatural powers which they used for evil purposes.

This again is a survival of a pagan cult common to Europe. Long after the pagan world had become (nominally) Christian, people continued to practice the old rites.

A witch persecution mania spread over the continent in the 15th century. It took some time to reach Scotland, and it lingered there longer than in other parts. Today we dismiss witchcraft as an outworn superstition, but at that time any old and eccentric person was in real danger of being tried as a witch—younger people, too—and witch trials were far from satisfactory. Many innocent folk (even those of noble birth) suffered torture. In the 16th century, for instance, Lady Glamis was publicly burned for witchcraft on the Calton Hill, Edinburgh, “with great commiseration of the people, in regard to her noble blood and her singular beauty, and suffering all, though a woman, with man-like courage."

Witch Pools, where witch—suspects were lowered into the water in ducking—stools, occur here and there. There is one at Lunan, and, if I remember rightly, another at Abernyte called the Witches’ Dub.

Witches were also tried at Perth, Forfar and elsewhere. It was said that they held their revels at Caterthun (near Brechin), at the Loch of Forfar, at Petterden (between Dundee and Forfar), and in the vicinity of Kirriemuir.

Jean, the Witch, wife of Cardean, was well known around Meigle. She lived in a cottage alongside the Dean Water, with the Witches’ Knowe nearby. Jean’s sorceries were much in demand for the cure of cattle diseases. Her advice was often reasonable and good, but people feared her, and she was said to hold meetings, often very quarrelsome ones with the Devil. At Boglebee (near Kilspindie) there is a tumulus and two large stones. They are said to have been flung by the giant son of a witch who lived at Collace. He used her mutch as a sling, and meant to land the stones in Perth, but the string broke and they landed here.

The Devil appears in many Tayside place—names, and he seems to own a lot of property along the Angus coast especially. His “head” is there (an isolated stack of red sandstone) and so are his “anvil,” his “letterbox” and his “grindstone.” The anvil is a rock in the gloomy portals of the Dark Cave. The letter box is a chink in the rocks through which a turmoil of waters can be seen below. The grindstone can be heard, not seen—it is a whirring noise that occurs near Auchmithie at certain states of wind and tide. In olden days no Auchmithie fisherman dared go to sea when that dreaded sound was heard.

There is the “Devil’s Knapp” at Lunan, and the “Devil’s Knowe” at Brunton; there is the famous “Devil’s Elbow” on the Cairnwell Road to Braemar. And many others.
The Devil himself has appeared from time to time. It is recorded that he arrived in a cloud of sulphur smoke at a mill at Lethnot, but was soon routed completely by the local minister. The Lethnot district, incidentally, is notable for its old tales and superstitions. Its Whisky Road (or Priest’s Road) is now an almost forgotten hill-track, but at one time it was almost a main road for foot travellers between the Highlands and the Lowlands, and was well used by drovers, harvesters and smugglers, as well as by the minister of Lochlee, the “other half” of whose parish lay on the south side of Wirren, “the hill of springs.”

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