The Nova Scotia
Love Potion

Sir John Colquhoun moves through the clan's history with an air of intrigue that sets him apart from his forebears. Educated in France and Germany, he returned to Scotland with a broader outlook and a reputation for unconventional thinking.

His later life became entwined with stories that blurred the boundaries between scandal and superstition, earning him in modern retellings the curious title of 'the last witch in Scotland'.

At the centre of this reputation was his relationship with Lady Katherine Graham, his wife's sister. It was alleged that, with the assistance of his manservant Thomas Carlipps, reputed to practise the dark arts, Sir John employed charms, tokens and so-called 'love potions' before the pair eloped to London in 1631.

In an age when belief in witchcraft and magic was widespread, such accusations carried genuine consequence. Although never formally charged with practising witchcraft himself, the rumours surrounding Sir John became inseparable from his public identity.

A Member of the Scottish Parliament from 1621, Sir John remains a figure remembered as much through folklore as historical record. His remarkable story captures the fascination, mystery and superstition of seventeenth-century Scotland, where rumour could become legend.

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