One of the most active centres of witch hunting was Scotland, where up to 4000 people were put to the flames. The ferocity of the Scottish persecutions can be at least partly attributed to the royal witch hunter James VI and I. And they had long lasting and important repercussions. Recent biographer of James VI and I, Dr Steven Veerapen examines why the witch panics happened, what was James trying to achieve and what was the legacy of them.

The February meeting of WLHAAS will hear a talk on ‘James VI and I and the legacy of witchcraft panics’ Dr Veerapen will be talking about the obsessive interest James VI & I had in witchcraft panics that seized Scotland and many parts of Europe in the late 16th & 17th centuries. But the subject of the talk is not so much the witches or witchcraft cases themselves but the legacy of the panics in the shifting power balance between church and state, shifts in belief and in judicial thinking. Come along and hear an excellent speaker on a fascinating topic.

All welcome, non members by donation.

A talk by Dr Steven Veerapen from Strathclyde University

VENUE Ecclesmachan Village Hall, Byburn, Ecclesmachan EH52 6NG at 7.30pm on 18th February 2026