The Last Witch of Scotland

The Last Witch of Scotland – Waterstones’ Scottish Book of the Year 2024!

… an historical fiction about love and sacrifice inspired by the extraordinary true story of Janet Horne, the last person in Britain to be executed for witchcraft.

Set in the Highlands of Scotland during 1727, Janet and her daughter Aila make their living brewing and selling ale. Aila is disfigured and disabled, while Janet shows signs of dementia, and soon rumours of witchcraft spread about the couple who are new to the area. The arrival of a temporary minister, obsessed with the devil, soon makes matters worse. The mother and daughter are arrested and at the court case in Dornoch they are found guilty and sentenced to be executed the next day.

‘Compelling, evocative, heart-wrenching. This beautifully written novel, populated by a vivid cast of characters, kept me gripped from start to finish. Highly recommended.’ Fiona Valpy, author of The Storyteller of Casablanca.

‘In Aila, Philip Paris has created a character of such defiance and vulnerability that any reader will be bewitched by her story.’ Elizabeth Lee, author of Cunning Women.

How The Last Witch of Scotland came about …

‘The story of Janet Horne is well known in the Highlands and her fame is spreading with the growing interest there is in the Scottish witchcraft trials. The stone in Dornoch that marks the site of her execution in June, 1727, is becoming something of a shrine, with people often respecting her memory by leaving small tokens.

‘One of the aspects of writing that excites me the most is to find an important historical event that no-one has taken as the centre storyline of a novel. This set me off on a quest to find as much as I could about Janet and her daughter’s story, which in turn led to several years of research into the witchcraft trials, alongside writing the book. It’s an interest that continues, as the subject is so vast, complex and fascinating.’

The Last Witch of Scotland will be published on 13th April, 2023, by Black & White Publishing and will be available in hardback (£14.99) – ISBN: 978-1785304507 – from any high street bookshop, while the hardback/ebook can be ordered from Amazon. The Last Witch of Scotland: Amazon.co.uk: Paris, Philip: 9781785304507: Books An audio version will also be released on 13th  April, narrated by the actors Samara MacLaren and Steven Cree. The Last Witch of Scotland: Amazon.co.uk: Paris, Philip: Audio Book