The Scottish Seer Janet Douglas

For centuries Scots have claimed that some of their natives have a gift for Second Sight—an ability to foretell the future, see events happening at great distances and/or detect malicious witchcraft.

- Douglas McGowan

Many of these beliefs eventually fell into the category of legend. Stories of such seers as the Brahan Seer and Thomas the Rhymer are most likely greatly embellished.

Indeed, the story of one seer, the young Janet Douglas, might have been relegated to fictional folklore if her story had not been included in a June 1700 letter from the very real Reverend George Hickes to famous diarist Samuel Pepys.

Hickes met Janet in person and related his meeting to Pepys.

According to Hickes, Janet was born in the Highlands in the late 1660s and possessed an ability for finding clay images which were used by witches to place curses on people.