Scotland Has A New Registered Tartan And It’s A Statement Of Justice
Scotland, land of rugged landscapes, kilts, and bagpipes, also has a delightful little skeleton in its closet — the witch trials. That’s right, between 1563 and 1736, thousands of (mostly) women were dragged through the mud, tortured, and executed because, apparently, being independent, opinionated, or just too damn good at herbal remedies made you a witch.
Scotland has a new registered tartan and it’s a statement of justice. Enter the Witches of Scotland Tartan — not just a badass piece of fabric but a full-blown symbol of justice and remembrance. Created by Claire Mitchell KC and Zoe Venditozzi, the unstoppable duo behind Witches of Scotland, and designed by Clare Campbell of Prickly Thistle Scotland, this tartan isn’t here to just sit pretty. It’s here to say, “We remember what you did, and we’re not letting it slide.”
Let’s break it down — because history, my friends, is wild.
The Scottish Witch Trials: How to Be a Woman and Get Yourself Executed
Let’s set the scene: The Protestant Reformation is in full swing, and everyone is looking for someone to blame for their problems. Your neighbour’s cow died? Witch. A storm blew your house down? Definitely a witch. That one woman in town who has the audacity to be good at math? Burn her immediately.
The Church of Scotland (Kirk) was all in on this mess. Ministers used their pulpits to terrify people with sermons about Satan’s influence, essentially creating Scotland’s first true crime wave. They held the Kirk Sessions (church courts), where they happily encouraged townsfolk to turn in their neighbours. Because nothing says community spirit like, “Hey, I saw Mary talking to her cat — pretty sure she’s a witch.” Ministers often lead the charge against alleged witches. Accusations were sometimes based on personal vendettas or societal fears, leading to numerous unjust trials and executions.
The Protestant Reformation cranked up the fear factor, as ministers preached that witches were in league with the Devil, making witch-hunting practically a holy war. John Knox, the drama king of the Reformation, wrote a whole book about how women were weak and dangerous, subtly titled The First Blast of the Trumpet Against the Monstrous Regiment of Women (1558). Real subtle, John. Meanwhile, the Kirk Sessions turned villages into tattletale central, where every grumpy old man who got rejected could accuse a woman of consorting with Satan.
Then there was King James VI, who really took things up a notch. Obsessed with witches and probably just a little too paranoid, he wrote Daemonologie in 1597, which was basically a royal how-to guide for executing women. He was convinced witches had tried to sink his ship with storms, because obviously, women controlled the weather now. This led to the North Berwick Witch Trials (1590–1592), where over 70 people were accused, tortured, and executed, all because a storm gave the king a fright.
Once accused, you were pretty much done for. Ministers and town officials had a delightful array of highly scientific ways to confirm you were a witch:
- Pricking tests — Stab a woman with a needle; if she didn’t bleed, she was a witch. If she did? Well, they’d just try again.
- Sleep deprivation — Keep her awake until she confesses to literally anything.
- Swimming tests — Toss her into a lake. If she floated, she was a witch. If she sank and drowned? Oops.
After all that, the final send-off was usually strangulation and burning at the stake, with the Church signing off on it all in the name of purifying the land. Holy justice, indeed. Between 1563 and 1736, it’s estimated that approximately 3,000 to 5,000 individuals were accused of witchcraft in Scotland, with about 2,500 executed.
The Witches of Scotland Campaign: Justice, But Make It Fashion
Fast forward a few centuries, and the Witches of Scotland campaign is here to clean up this hot mess. Led by Claire Mitchell KC and Zoe Venditozzi, these two weren’t about to let Scotland’s shady past stay buried. Their mission?
- A formal apology from the Scottish government.
- A legal pardon for those wrongfully convicted.
- A national memorial so we never forget this utter debacle.
And guess what? They actually made it happen. In 2022, the Scottish government formally apologized for its role in the witch trials, acknowledging that thousands of innocent people had been murdered in the name of religious hysteria. Even the Church of Scotland admitted it had some serious explaining to do. Progress, people!
But justice wasn’t just about words. Enter the Witches of Scotland Tartan, a visual tribute to the victims of these brutal trials. Designed by Clare Campbell, this tartan is more than just a checkered pattern — it’s a full-on historical statement:
- 173 black threads — One for every year the Witchcraft Act was in force.
- Red lines — Symbolizing the blood spilled during these trials.
- Grey elements — Representing the ashes of those burned at the stake.
- Pink details — A nod to the legal tape used to convict these women.
- Three stripes — For the three demands: Apology, Pardon, Memorial.
This tartan isn’t just a fashion statement — it’s a battle cry. It’s a way to say, “We remember, and we’re not letting history repeat itself.”
Coming Soon: Get Your Own Piece of Justice
Witches of Scotland (A Campaign for Justice) may soon be launching this tartan for purchase. According to a comment on their official Facebook page, “Coming out in April!” This means that soon, supporters and history advocates alike will be able to wear this tartan as a powerful reminder of the past and a statement for the future. Keep an eye out for updates on their official website: Witches of Scotland.
Final Thoughts: We were always powerful – and that was enough to make them afraid.
The Scottish witch trials were never about magic. They were about misogyny, fear, and unchecked power. The Church and the government worked together to silence and control women, punishing them for being different, outspoken, or simply existing outside of societal norms. Thousands of innocent people were executed under the guise of religious purity, and it took centuries for Scotland to finally acknowledge the injustice.
But now? Now we take back the story. We honor these women with a tartan that tells their truth, and we make sure no one ever forgets what happens when fear wins over reason.
Wear it. Own it. Make them remember. Because even if we were never witches, we were always powerful — and that was enough to make them afraid.
Sources & Further Reading:
- The Scottish Register of Tartans: Witches of Scotland Tartan
- The Times: Tartan Memorialises Women Executed for Witchcraft
- BBC Scotland: Coverage of the Witches of Scotland campaign and the government’s official apology.
- University of Edinburgh: Research on Scotland’s witch trials and historical records.
