Using extensive research into witchcraft court cases and folkloric tales, Arnold Crowther takes us on a thought-provoking journey through centuries of Scottish witchcraft and witch belief. From Mary Queen of Scots, who brought witchcraft to the fore in Scotland, right up to Aleister Crowley, notorious magician of the twentieth century, Crowther guides us through the most notable cases of Scottish witchcraft and magic.

Magic began in a world very different to today. Survival in the pre-modern world was reliant on the understanding of natural forces, and the boundaries between this world and the otherworld were less clear than they are now, blurred between the natural and the supernatural, and leading to popular beliefs full of demons, witches and spirits. In turn, the need to protect oneself from potential harm provoked a search for support from whoever was believed able to provide solace and remedy. Those considered to be healers, armed with their knowledge of natural magic, rituals and communion with supernatural powers, were magical and mysterious to the seeker.