The creepy ‘Ghost Dog of Ward Nine’ haunts Challenger Lodge in Trinity, Edinburgh, a place with a chilling history of supernatural encounters, writes JOHN S TANTALON
There is a location 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 gray building dominates the skyline. Originally called Wardie Lodge, the building was built in 1830. In 1914 the property was retitled Challenger Lodge by owner Sir John Murray. Marine biologist Sir John Murray named the Lodge after his pioneering Challenger expedition that investigated life forms in the deep oceans.
In 1929 the property was converted into a home for children with disabilities and would continue to operate until its closure in 1977. Shortly afterwards, Challenger Lodge would become the St Columbus Hospice, providing care for the terminally ill. It is during this period that our story begins.
A few years ago I interviewed an ex-staff member of St. Columba’s Hospice. Jude is now retired, but has some fascinating stories from her time in the hospice. On several occasions, Jude and other staff were summoned by visitors with the same strange request. Each time, people asked the staff to remove a small dog from the department.
Each time the staff entered the room and found no dog there. The cases would become so commonplace that the staff would humor the bewildered visitors with, “Oh, he must have run out the door while we weren’t looking.” The truth is, no dog was ever allowed in the department when Jude worked there. This bizarre version of events would lead to the title ‘The Ghost Dog of Ward Nine’.
The Ghost Dog of Department Nine
Sightings of the animal would continue for years. In 2012, the hospice was demolished and rebuilt. All patients would move to a hospital in Livingston until reopening in 2014. It was during this period that an unusual discovery was made. Builders discovered a small shoebox near Ward Nine. Inside the box were the bones of an animal, the bones of a small dog.
Around this time, Jude stopped working at the hospice. The story of the ghost dog continued to fascinate her, and the discovery of the bones prompted her to investigate further. The building’s history as a Challenger Lodge was a substantial piece of the puzzle. The location functioned as a home for children with disabilities.
A film in the archives of the National Library of Scotland shows Challenger Lodge from this period. In the short film ‘Chiefs Half Day’, legendary Police Chief William Merrilees, OBE, travels to local offices. During his travels he visits Challenger Lodge and greets the many excited residents with an exciting visitor. The little police officer is accompanied by a famous movie star of the day. The actor in question was none other than the dog who played Greyfriars Bobby the famous Walt Disney movie. It has been documented that the dog not only visited but also donated to the Challenger Lodge, where he spent his days with the residents. Could the famous cat be the dog haunting St. Columba’s Hospice? The Ghost Dog of Ward Nine. The ghost dog is indeed a fascinating story. However, there are even more unexpected stories from the confines of hospital wards.
Another terrifying story from hospice took place while Jude was on a back shift. She was doing her rounds and entered a single room to refill the patient’s water. Jude was shocked when she was confronted by a tall man holding the patient’s hand. She apologized and left the room. She described what she saw as a very personal moment. Shortly afterwards the penny dropped when she remembered that visiting hours had passed.
She returned to the room to find the patient alone and peaceful in his bed. He was dead. Jude insists that the man holding the patient’s hand was the same person, just younger. He was impeccably dressed in a neat, dark suit. Could this incident have been the death of his spirit, who visited him one last time before he left? Jude discovered photos of the patient from before he retired. He worked as a school principal and in the photo he appeared impeccably dressed in a dark suit.
A similar story exists in the crisis appearance of Mr. Swan from Ann Street. At the end of the nineteenth century, a family living on Ann Street in leafy New Town encounters a surprising visitor. Her brother showed up unannounced that day and was believed to be traveling abroad. The man entered the house, greeted the family members and promptly disappeared. About a month later the same family received a telegram. The message informed them of her brother’s tragic death. He had drowned while sailing aboard a boat. The date of the accident coincided with the exact date he had appeared at the house on Ann Street, several thousand miles away from where he died that same day.
Where is Challenger Lodge located?
Challenger Lodge is located directly opposite the Forth Estuary. Do the other strange events take place in the watery depths? When Jude moved to Edinburgh to work in the hospice, she was fortunate to acquire a property nearby. At the time, the entrance to the hospice was manned 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 home, she received the chilling response: “You’ll see some strange things down there,” he told her. The man’s words of warning were not wrong.
Some time after moving into the property, Jude witnessed something strange. 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 massive ball of light. The object was stationary and hovering directly above the water. The location was halfway between the coast and Burnt Island in Fife. He sat there for about five minutes before quickly taking off into the sky.
In the 1980s, staff sometimes used the old Challenger Lodge building to don their uniforms. However, some people were more hesitant to use the building than others, and for good reason. Several staff members reported hearing children laughing. The playful sounds come from a lower part of the building. Jude insists that it is not a scary sound and that the children sound completely happy. The only bizarre fact is that there are no children.
Will the ghost dog continue to walk the corridors of this renovated hospital? Do ghosts manifest the walls of Challenger Lodge? Do strange occurrences continue to occur in the area? One day 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 ghosts 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.
