Hello, my lovely Bedtwixters, it's me, Kate Lister. Welcome back to Betwixter Sheets. Thank you for coming back once again. I'm so glad that you're here, mostly, because if you weren't here, then it's just me, isn't it? It's just me talking to myself. So thank God you are here with your ears and are listening to this. But before you can go any further, I do have to tell you, and I'm sure you know what I'm going to tell you, but here it is anyway. This is an adult podcast spoken by adults to other adults about adulty things in an adulty way coming arranged,

adults of subjects, and you should be an adult too. Right, on with the show.

You are joining me in the Highlands of Scotland in spring 1662, and something peculiar is a foot.

A local woman from a small town, Isabel Gowdy, is giving what will become known as one of the most detailed and scandalous confessions of witchcraft in European history.

And that is up against some pretty stiff competition, I can tell you.

Her confession is detailed and lurid, and there is a lot of sexual information in there as

well, including descriptions of how she had sex with the devil. She describes him lying as heavily

as a sack of malt, and says that she found his nature within me cold as spring well

water. Crikey, Isabel. Obviously, these words are being spoken under duress, but even so, she is

really going for it. So who was Isabel Gowdy? What led her to this place? And what happened to her next? Hello and welcome back to Betwixt Sheets, The History of Sex Scandal and Society with me, Kate Lister.

Isabel Gowdy's four confessions over six weeks came at the height of Scotland's

panic about witchcraft, and they were terrified of them. An estimated 206 people were accused

between April and December in 1661 alone. And even amongst all of them, Isabel's confession

really stands out. So what do we know about her?

And what on earth was going on in Scotland at the time to create such a panic? Well, joining me

today is Mary Craig, historian and author of books including The Borders Witch Hunt and a history

of Scottish witches. So if anyone can help us, I think it's her.

And whilst I'm here, I wanted to let you know again about the two Betwixt the Sheets live shows that are happening in May,

one in Edinburgh and the other one in London Town.

Tickets are available at Fane.com.uk. UK.

Just search for Betwixt the Sheets and we will see you there.

Right, let's crack on with it.

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