Iain Stirling and Laura Whitmore have urged a re-evaluation of the name Logan Road in Torryburn after discussing the story of Lilias Adie on an episode of their Murder They Wrote podcast.
Podcast sheds new light on an old grievance
The husband-and-wife presenting team, who examine real-life crimes and listener suggestions on their show, revisited the 18th-century case of Lilias Adie — a Torryburn woman accused of witchcraft who died while in custody in 1704. The episode drew attention to the fact that the road in the village is named after the Reverend Allan Logan, a minister historically associated with prosecutions for witchcraft in the area.
Listeners have previously pressed for a name change, and the podcast discussion has brought fresh national attention to that local debate. The Press reported last year on calls from readers who felt it inappropriate to honour a clergyman they say was involved in Lilias Adie's imprisonment.
Background to Lilias Adie's case
Evidence discussed in the episode and earlier local coverage notes that Adie was accused by a neighbour, Jean Bizet, and died in prison, possibly by suicide, in her sixties. After her death, her body was buried on the shoreline at Torryburn and placed beneath a stone — a measure intended at the time to stop the corpse returning and causing harm. Lilias Adie's grave is understood to be the only known marked burial site in Scotland for an accused witch.
| Event | When |
|---|---|
| Lilias Adie died in custody | 1704 |
| Reverend Allan Logan served in Torryburn until | 1717 |
Local feeling and practical questions
Public reaction has been divided. Some residents have argued that street names reflect history that should not be erased; others contend that continuing to honour individuals linked to persecution is inappropriate. As previously reported, comments from readers included strong language calling for the removal of the honourific. One reader put the point plainly:
"'You can't change history', sure, but you can stop honouring a man who was responsible for murdering women. Take away the witchcraft angle, and that guy was a serial killer."
At present there is also an Adia Road in the town, showing that local place-naming has already referenced Lilias Adie in some form. The podcast’n attention may renew discussion within Torryburn and among neighbouring communities about whether further steps should be taken — for example, formal petitions, engagement with the local authority about renaming procedures, or educational measures such as plaques or public information to explain the history.
- What happened: Podcast hosts highlighted Lilias Adie's 1704 death while in custody and the naming of Logan Road after a minister associated with witch prosecutions.
- Why it matters: The debate centres on how communities remember people involved in historical injustice and whether street names should honour such figures.
- Immediate effect: Renewed public attention from the podcast may re-energise local calls for a name change or for explanatory commemoration.
Any formal move to change a street name would involve local authority procedures, consultation with residents and practical considerations such as updating addresses. Those processes can be protracted and often require clear local backing to proceed. For now, the conversation has been amplified by the reach of a popular podcast and by sustained local interest in ensuring Lilias Adie’s story is not forgotten.
Coverage of this subject will continue as local groups, residents and the council respond to the renewed focus.
