Stunning Scotland is blessed with a fascinating capital and hardly any sightseers would willingly miss a chance to look around Edinburgh Castle. Few of those who wander around this enthralling edifice will be aware that the castle was once the centre of witch burning in Scotland.{copytag:[611]:copytag}
During the 16th and 17th centuries more than 300 ‘witches’ were tortured and put to death in this area. Lately, there have been calls for a monument to these poor souls to be placed on the Esplanade. At the moment the only memorial to those cruel days is a plaque from 1894 claiming some women used their “exceptional knowledge for evil purposes” or were “misunderstood and wished their kind nothing but good”.
Edinburgh World Heritage
Recently, Edinburgh World Heritage has called for suggestions on ways to “commemorate the victims of this dark chapter in our history”. Nicholas Hotham, head of outreach, said: “The persecution of those accused of witchcraft was widespread in early modern Scotland. The hysteria around the trials may have been caused by fear of the ‘other’, of people who were different or possessed unusual gifts”.
