Martyr's Stake

The Martyr's Stake in Wigtown was so quiet and peaceful when we visited in July 2024 and we had the place to ourselves. The site has a sort of eerie sadness to it despite the beautiful backdrop, but it also has a very important role to play in the history of Wigtown.

The Martyr's Stake stands as a stark reminder of a tumultuous period in the nation's history. It marks the spot where two women, Margaret MacLachlan and Margaret Wilson, were executed in 1685 for their unwavering religious beliefs. Their story speaks of resilience, defiance, and the enduring spirit of the Covenanters.

The Covenanters were a Presbyterian movement opposed to the imposition of Anglican practices by King Charles II and his successor, James VII. They fiercely defended their faith and the Presbyterian form of church government. This religious conflict ignited a period known as The Killing Times (1680-1688), marked by brutal persecution of Covenanters who refused to conform.

Margaret MacLachlan, a woman in her sixties, and Margaret Wilson, a young woman of eighteen, embodied that unwavering spirit. Their defiance wasn't ostentatious; they merely refused to swear an oath that declared James VII as the supreme head of the church, an act they viewed as an affront to their Presbyterian beliefs. This seemingly small act of defiance had dire consequences. They were apprehended while attending a conventicle, an outlawed outdoor religious service held by Covenanters.

The women were brought before a court in Wigtown. Refusing to renounce their beliefs, they were sentenced to death. The punishment was designed to be both cruel and a deterrent to others. They were to be tied to stakes driven into the mudflats of the River Bladnoch and left to drown as the tide rose. The strategy was barbaric - the younger Margaret, it was hoped, would relent upon witnessing the older woman's demise. However, their resolve remained unshaken. Margaret Wilson, according to accounts, even sang psalms and quoted scripture as the water rose around them. Their unwavering faith in the face of death became a potent symbol of Covenanter fortitude.