THOUSANDS of women who were accused of witchcraft and then executed will be remembered at a special event in Culross on Saturday.

Three plaques will be placed on the Fife Coastal Path and there will also be a celebration of Lilias Adie, the 'Torryburn witch' who confessed to having sex with the devil.

Between the 16th and 18th century, it's estimated that more than 380 people in Fife, most of them women, were accused of practising black magic with many imprisoned, tortured, put on trial, hanged and then burned.

Read more: Secret Dunfermline book uncovers town's frightening history 

ONFife's Sara Kelly said: "On Saturday, we are launching a trail to commemorate the women of Culross, Torryburn and Valleyfield who were accused of being witches.

"The West Fife Heritage Network, led by Councillor Kate Stewart, have worked wonders to create three beautiful plaques to be placed on the Fife Coastal Path.

"We are going to launch this heritage trail at an outdoor event, socially-distanced and COVID-19 compliant, at Culross village green on Saturday."

In Scotland's violent past, up to 5,000 women, a much higher rate than neighbouring England, were accused of witchcraft in the 16th and 17th century.

Claire Mitchell QC, who is campaigning to get a pardon for those suspected of being witches, will be one of the speakers.

Sara added: "The event will also be a celebration of the birth of Lilias Adie, the 'Torryburn witch', and the launch of the Remembering the Accused Witches of Scotland (RAWS) group and its bid to get a national memorial to the accused witches across Scotland."

Lilias was an old woman who, in 1704, was accused by her neighbour of bringing her ill health and taken to the church to plead her case.

Faced with the feared witch-hunter, the Reverend Allan Logan, she confessed to being a witch and having sex with the devil in a cornfield.

She died in prison before her trial and was buried on the beach at Torryburn under a large slab – to prevent her body rising from the grave – which was uncovered in 2014 by Fife Council archaeologist Douglas Speirs.

He said: "She would have found herself in front of some mad Presbyterian minister and tortured with beatings, sleep deprivation and all manner of cruelties.

“She would have confessed to just about anything in short order, and she died one month and a day after being apprehended, most likely because of suicide.

“To the people of the time, her suicide and her pact with the devil meant she could return from the grave as a ‘revenant’ – basically a zombie.

"So she was buried under something which would keep her in place.”

Lilias' grave – the only witch’s grave in Scotland as the other suspected witches were all burned – was pillaged in 1852 by curio-hunters.

Her skull, some ribs and a femur were removed and, last August, Cllr Stewart backed an expedition to try to locate the remains.

Two months later, a council proposal to erect the Beamer Rock Beacon, redundant since being moved in 2011 to make way for the Queensferry Crossing, in Torryburn as a national memorial to the victims of Scotland's witch hunt, was rejected by villagers.

The event in Culross starts at 1pm on Saturday. There will be refreshments available and the opportunity to talk with the RAWS group and join their campaign.