A LONGNIDDRY man has released his latest book, In This House Angels Four, as he continues his research into East Lothian’s history of witchcraft.

David Robertson described his new book as an “exploration of traditional magic and healing” that also dispels many of the myths about witchcraft.

He said: “It was to find out what was really happening –there’s a lot of assumptions made about witchcraft in Scotland in the 17th century.

“It seemed obvious to me that a lot of these assumptions were nonsensical and I wanted to get to the bottom of what was really happening.”

The book takes its name from the Catholic blessing Jonet Little recited that led to her being accused of black magic and witchcraft.

He said: “Everybody jumps on this idea that everything connected with magic, healing and witchcraft was all evil, when here was somebody that was very obviously to me doing good work.”

Mr Robertson’s research helped uncover new cases in East Lothian, providing new material to a field that often reuses the same examples.

He added: “People will find a lot of information that hasn’t been mentioned in any other publication about witchcraft in East Lothian or Scotland in general.”

The book illustrates some of the weird and wonderful healing methods used in Reformation-era Scotland and their connection to Catholic and far older traditions.

He said: “Things like tying a toad around a sheep’s neck to heal sore joints; there’s no apparent logic to that. It could be a very ancient thing.”

Mr Robertson’s research involved deciphering old court and church records, written in a style and language not easily understood by the modern English speaker.

He said: “The spelling is also pretty erratic, there are many obscure legal terms and 17th-century Scots comes in now and again.

“There is a lot of toil and trouble in reading these old handwritten texts so what I’ve done is made it easy.”

In This House Angels Four is available from troubador.co.uk and on sale now.