"What is Scottish Witchcraft (or not)? – the role of the wise women"

"It is important to note here that I am not using the word Witch.  Witchcraft in Scotland was known as buidseach(male) or bana-bhuidseach (female) and only appears after the 16th century, about the time of the witch hunts. Amait was used before this and meant witch, then later referred to a “foolish women”. Those who would consider themselves buidseach would work and call on the spirits or powers of the north and left hand direction for self gain and self aggrandisement and work against their community, this is important to note. This wouldn’t be something that a wise woman would do , go against their community, unless perhaps in war times as shown in the Irish and Scottish Tales where this approach would support her “tauth” or family and community to be successful.  We can’t really be sure but I doubt the diaone sith would let harm come to those they had relationships with and the community they helped support so action would have been needed in some form. They dealt with both sides I’m sure, but in support not hindrance of the greater good. Also the modern term Witch is so conflated with different religious overtures from neopaganism, Wicca to Luciferian and Hedgewitch practices that it helps to not use it when referring to folk practices at all... 

So what is the role of the wise woman or man in Scotland? Their role would have been to help their communities and to combat malign influences. This help, more often than not, was given to the wise woman by the blessing of the daoine sith. They were specialists, other healers or charmers couldn’t match because they dealt with the world of the unseen. Wise woman and men had a relationship with the otherworld or world of the sidhe/sith that helped them in various tasks... 

This is very different from the English cunning folk who were far more likely to emphasise their learning coming from exotic occult books and less emphasis on tradition, if any... 

So where does this leave us today? Perhaps the role of the wise person in their community was one of community nurse/midwife/social worker/herbalist/seer/intuitive/community worker/counsellor/ pharmacist/medium. All of which are roles that are considered very different and separate from one another today, if at all related. Spirit Medium Social worker does sound like an awesome job title though!"

http://www.cailleachs-herbarium.com/2015/09/what-is-scottish-witchcraft-or-not-the-role-of-the-wise-women/

Indigenous Scottish practices