The eerie “Ghost Dog of Ward Nine” haunts Challenger Lodge in Trinity, Edinburgh, a place with a chilling history of supernatural encounters, write JOHN S TANTALON
A location exists in the Trinity area of Edinburgh, a location with a host of unusual stories. From the long and winding expanse of Lower Granton Road a substantial grey building domineers the skyline. Originally titled Wardie Lodge, the building constructed in 1830. In 1914 the property retitled Challenger Lodge by its owner Sir John Murray. Marine Biologist Sir John Murray named the Lodge after his pioneering Challenger Expedition investigating abyssal lifeforms in the deep oceans.
In 1929 the property converted to a home for children with disabilities and would operate until its closure in 1977. Soon after Challenger Lodge would become St Columbus Hospice, providing care for the terminally ill. It is during this period that our story begins.
I interviewed an ex-staff member of the St Columba’s Hospice a few years ago. Jude is now retired but has some fascinating tales from her time at the hospice. On several occasions, Jude and other staff would be summoned by visitors with the same strange request. On each occasion, people would request staff to remove a small dog from the ward.
On each occasion, staff would enter the room only to find no dog present. The instances would become so commonplace that staff would humour the bewildered visitors with, “Oh, he must have run out the door when we weren’t looking.” The truth is that a dog has never been allowed in the ward when Jude worked there. This bizarre version of events would lead to the title of ‘The Ghost Dog of Ward Nine’.
The Ghost Dog of Ward Nine
The sightings of the animal would continue for years to come. In 2012, the hospice was demolished and rebuilt. All patients would relocate to a hospital in Livingston until its reopening in 2014. It was during this period that an unusual discovery was made. Builders discovered a small shoe box near what was Ward Nine. Inside the box sat the bones of an animal, the bones of a small dog.
Around this time, Jude retired from working at the hospice. The story of the ghost dog continued to fascinate her, and the discovery of the bones led her to investigate further. The building’s history as Challenger Lodge formed a substantial piece of the puzzle. The location served as a home for children with disabilities.
A film in The National Library of Scotland’s archive features Challenger Lodge from this period. The short film ‘Chiefs Half Day’ features legendary Chief of Police William Merrilees, OBE, on a trip to local establishments. On his travels, he visits Challenger Lodge and greets its many excited residents with an exciting visitor. Accompanying the pint-sized policeman is a famous film star of the day. The actor in question was none other than the dog who played Greyfriars Bobby in the famous Walt Disney movie. It is documented that the dog not only visited but was gifted to Challenger Lodge, where it lived out its days with the residents. Could the famous feline be the dog haunting St Columba’s Hospice? The Ghost Dog of Ward nine. The ghost dog is indeed a fascinating story. There are, however, other unexpected tales from the confines of the hospital wards.
Another frightening tale from the hospice occurred while Jude was on a back shift. She was doing her rounds and popped into a single occupancy ward to top up the patient’s water. Jude was shocked when she was confronted by a tall man holding the patient’s hand. She apologised and left the room. She described what she witnessed as a deeply personal moment. Soon after, the penny dropped when she remembered that visiting hours had passed.
She returned to the room and discovered the patient alone and lying peacefully in his bed. He was dead. Jude insists that the man holding the patient’s hand was the same person but only younger. He was dressed immaculately in a smart dark suit. Could this incident have been his spirit passing, visiting one last time before departing? Jude discovered photos of the patient from before he retired. He worked as a headmaster, and in the photo, he appeared immaculately dressed in a dark suit.
A similar tale exists from the crisis apparition of Mr Swan from Ann Street. At the end of the nineteenth century, a family living on Ann Street in the leafy New Town meet with a surprise visitor. Her brother appeared unannounced that day and presumed away on a trip abroad. The man entered the house, greeted the family members, and promptly vanished. About a month later, the same family received a telegram. The message informed them of the tragic death of her brother. He had drowned onboard a boat while sailing. The date of the accident coincided with the exact date he had appeared at the house on Ann Street, several thousand miles from where he died that same day.
Where is Challenger Lodge?
Challenger Lodge sits directly across from the Forth Estuary. Do the other strange goings on occur in the realms of its watery depths? When Jude moved to Edinburgh to start work at the hospice, she had the fortune of acquiring a nearby property. Back then, the hospice entrance was staffed by a security guard who lived in a house at the front of the building. When Jude told him her good news about her nearby house, she was met with a chilling reply, “You will see some strange sights down there,” he informed her. The man’s words of warning were not wrong.
Sometime after moving into the property, Jude witnessed something peculiar. It was early evening in the summer months. She was drawn to her living room window by a bright light. Upon further investigation, she witnessed what she described as a solid ball of light. The object was stationary and hovering directly above the water. Its location was halfway before the shore and Burnt Island in Fife. It sat there for about five minutes before departing quickly into the sky.
Back in the 1980s, staff sometimes used the old Challenger Lodge building to change into their uniforms. However, some people were more hesitant to use the building than others, for good reason. Several staff members have reported hearing children laughing. The playful sounds emanate from a lower section of the building. Jude insists that it is not a scary sound and that the children sound perfectly happy. The only bizarre fact is that there are no children there.
Does the ghost dog continue to walk the corridors of this newly remodelled hospital? Do spirits manifest the walls of Challenger Lodge? Do strange events continue to unfold within the area? Someday we may discover the truth behind, the mysteries of Trinity Challenger Lodge.
Tell us your thoughts on the Ghost Dog of Ward Nine and the hauntings of Challenger Lodge in the comments section below!
Tales from the Crypts of Auld Reekie by John S. Tantalon, from Saber Press, is available from North Edinburgh Nightmares website and Amazon.
