Margret Aitken was accused of witchcraft in April 1597 and was tortured into confessing. During her confession, she claimed she could identify witches by a mark in their eye. In May of 1597, Aitken also claimed to know of a large group of witches. The king approved a special commission to take her from village to village, sparking a period of witch-hunting in Scotland.

Aitken's accusations led to the execution of innocent women across Scotland to save her own life. The exact number of executions carried out by this commission is unknown but is thought to have run into hundreds.

In August 1597, Aitken was exposed as a fraud after a suspicious prosecutor showed her the same group of women as the day before, and Aitken failed to point out the same women as guilty. Aitken was taken back to Fife where she admitted to lying and making false accusations. She was burned at the stake the same month.