Podcast Summary: After Dark: Myths, Misdeeds & the Paranormal

Episode: Who Was the Last Witch of Scotland?

Hosts: Maddie Pelling & Anthony Delaney

Air Date: November 24, 2025

Episode Overview

In this atmospheric and sharp-witted installment, Maddie Pelling and Anthony Delaney journey to Dornoch in the Scottish Highlands to unpick the shadowy, myth-laden story of Janet Horne, the so-called "last witch of Scotland." The episode probes the blurred lines between myth and fact, exploring how Scottish history, gender, and national identity intersect around witch trials, collective memory, and historical monuments. Through a blend of historical detective work, statistical myth-busting, and dry humor, they dissect both the folklore and historical record surrounding Janet Horne—if she even existed at all.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Setting and Case of Janet Horne

• Location and Atmosphere: The episode opens with Maddie describing the present-day execution site in Dornoch—a quiet patch of grass marked by an unassuming stone, now surrounded by “tiny Offerings left by tourists and well wishers.” (03:48)
• The Historical Event: “In 1727, a woman afterwards named as Janet Horne was dragged from a nearby prison… accused and found guilty at trial of witchcraft. Now, in just a few short minutes, should be tied up and burned alive at the stake.” (04:20)

A Witchcraft Case in the Age of Enlightenment

• Both hosts are surprised at the late date for a witch trial:
  • Maddie: “And you'd be right in thinking that it's late because the Witchcraft Act, which allowed for the criminalization and punishment of women and men accused of witchcraft, was repealed the decade after this case.” (05:12)
  • They discuss changing beliefs about witchcraft and how post-repeal laws still controlled magical practices, like fortune telling, but shifted emphasis from real threat to fraud. (06:24)

Who Was Janet Horne? The Problem of Named and Nameless "Witches"

• The hosts clarify that “Janet Horne” was a generic name for accused witches, not a true name.
  • Maddie: “So Janet Horne is a term…that's been given to witches generally in Scotland in the 17th and 18th century.” (07:51)
  • The real names, age, and details of Janet and her daughter remain unknown, raising suspicion about the story's historicity. (08:10)

The Accusation and Execution

• The narrative, reliant on scanty and much later sources, claims Janet was accused alongside her daughter (who had a disability, interpreted locally as supernatural), tried, and executed, while the daughter reportedly escaped.
  • Maddie: “Her mother is accused of potentially causing the disability or changing her daughter’s body in some way to suit her own magical purposes… and the daughter escapes from prison. It's a small line in a 19th-century [account].” (08:48)
• The method of execution was burning at the stake, possibly after strangulation, but this is uncertain and rarely corroborated by contemporaneous sources. (10:36, 20:37)

Source Reliability and Anti-Scottish Propaganda

• Earliest written account appears in 1755, 30 years after Janet’s death, with further elaboration (and inconsistencies) appearing in the 19th century.

  • Anthony: “I think you can kind of tell there's doubt in my mind about this source and this source material, because we have a lot of detail in one aspect… and on the same side of things, we don't have a name.” (11:13)

• Early reports catered to English audiences and may have served to paint the Scottish Highlands as “backward and superstitious,” in line with anti-Highland, anti-Jacobite sentiment after the 1745 uprising. (12:06, 14:07)

Scottish Witchcraft in Context: Myths and Stats

• Quick Facts from the “Survey of Scottish Witchcraft” (University of Edinburgh):
  • Roughly 3,837 people were accused between 1563 and 1736; 3,212 are named.
  • 84% women, 15% men, 1% unspecified (16:13)
  • Many accused were over 40, but about half were younger; only 31% were 50–60. (17:09)
  • Witchcraft accusations often followed themes of gender, social isolation, and disability.

Evolving Myths and 19th-Century Embellishments

• Later retellings add lurid, folkloric details:
  • Maddie: “Was accused of having ridden upon her daughter, transformed into a pony and shod by the devil, which made the girl ever after lame both in hands and feet.” (19:28)
• The survival of Janet’s family becomes a “tangible” but unverifiable detail. (19:56)
• The story’s evolution reflects a shift in cultural attitudes, from fearful community narrative to Gothic camp.

Processes and Rituals of Witch Trials

• Typical “evidence” against accused included forced confessions under duress, sleep deprivation, and invasive body searches for “devil’s marks.” (20:37, 21:31)
  • Maddie: “…You might have your whole body searched for the devil’s mark… which would involve stripping all of your clothes off and men usually searching your body. So there’s a sense of absolute dehumanization here.” (22:17)
  • These accusations often began from within the community, reflecting a culture of suspicion and interpersonal animosity.

The Legacy: Memory, Memorials, and Ongoing Scholarship

• The legacy of Janet Horne is scrutinized: scant evidence, multiple inconsistencies across sources, but enduring myth as “the last Scottish witch.”
• Ongoing initiatives:
  • Campaign for a national memorial to Scotland’s executed witches. (14:35, 27:14)
• The Dornoch stone memorial's authenticity is doubted; likely a 19th-century marker possibly marking historical trauma more than an individual burial site. (29:25–31:58)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• The Blurring of History and Myth

  • "Janet Horne seems to be all Scottish witches, almost."
    —Anthony (14:07)

• On Community Suspicion

  • “You have to remember that a lot of these accusations come from within side the community, that often it's neighbours who testify against you or even your own family members.”
    —Maddie (22:17)

• The Struggle with Historical Sources

  • “I think you can kind of tell there's doubt in my mind about this source and this source material, because we have a lot of detail in one aspect… and on the same side of things, we don't have a name.”
    —Anthony (11:13)
  • “So did Janet exist, is my question. I mean, Janets existed. Janet as a figure existed, certainly, but I wonder if that's what's being propagated.”
    —Anthony (30:36)

• On the Importance of Memorialization

  • "I think there's something so important about making this kind of trauma, this history… visible in the landscape as a reminder is incredibly important."
    —Maddie (27:14)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• The Setting in Dornoch & Retelling the Events | 01:48–04:36
• Why So Late? Context of 18th Century Witch Trials | 04:36–06:24
• Who Was Janet Horne? The Problem of Attribution | 07:40–08:31
• Source Reliability and the 1755 and 1884 Accounts | 11:13–19:56
• Scottish Witchcraft in Context: Survey and Stats | 14:56–18:32
• Trial Methods, Community, and Trauma | 20:37–23:27
• Modern Memory, Memorial Efforts, and the Problem of the 'Memorial Stone' | 27:14–31:58

Tone and Style

The hosts adopt a dry, skeptical humor and a conversational style, expertly balancing academic rigor and accessible storytelling. They challenge historical sources, interrogate stereotypes, and are unafraid to speculate—always with a wink to the audience about the limits of proof and the pull of legend.

For New Listeners

This episode deftly entwines history, myth, and cultural memory to reveal just how slippery and evocative the story of "the last Scottish witch" really is. Whether Janet Horne was an individual victim or a folkloric composite, her story persists—as both cautionary tale and reflection on the danger of mass suspicion and scapegoating.

Listeners leave with more questions than answers—a fitting legacy for one of Scottish history’s most enigmatic figures.