Forfar Witches

Met up with a friend in Forfar today for lunch, a chat and a walk round the loch. The weather was a huge improvement on the past few days and was sunny and pleasantly warm, although fairly windy.

I spotted this stone with its unusual inscription as we walked and decided to find out more about it. It's a memorial to the Forfar Witches, a group of 21 women and one man who were accused, tried and either hanged or burned at the stake during the infamous witch hunts of the 17th century.

The owners of a nearby house had learned of the history and wanted to set up a memorial to these poor souls, who were usually midwives or herbalists and just happened to live in the wrong place at the wrong time. They have constructed a circular cairn of stones and erected this decorated headstone under a hawthorn tree.

The local museum has more information on the witch hunts and various tableaux depicting scenes from the trials. A very dark period in our history.