Gallow Hill

The highest point in Newburgh is known as Gallow Hill, now a grassy mound largely covered in gorse, it was the place where criminals were hung and witches burned at the stake.

During the reign of James VI concerns over witchcraft throughout Scotland came to a head.  During this period the area around Newburgh suffered its share of witch-related hysteria. in 1597, Helene Fraser of Aikenshill was sentenced to be burned at the stake  for practising witchcraft in the parish. The Foveran Presbytery accused her of 19 charges of 'publict and commond charming', and she was found guilty of 14 of them. Not only had a neighbour, John Ramsay of Newburgh, accused Helen of calling up the devil, but there were also implications that Janet Ingram, the wife of Adam Fynnie of Westburn in Belhelvie was involved. Janet was ill, and already considered a witch by some men of her parish, when she sent for Helene Fraser to cure her. Unfortunately Janet merely worsened and died, and before her husband could call some friends to help carry her body to the churchyard, Helene and some of Janet's daughters took charge of the corpse. When they met Janet's husband and several other men of the parish Helene fled. This behaviour was interpreted as strange and suspicious, and helped lead to Helene’s downfall and execution on Gallow hill.

These days the Kirk use the hill for a more peaceful purpose, for an open-air service on the morning of  Easter Sunday.