Centuries-old ghost stories continue to echo through its shadowy halls of Edinburgh’s Caroline Park House, writes JOHN S TANTALON
In the Granton area of Edinburgh lies a mansion with a considerable history.
Caroline Park House was constructed in 1696 for Sir George Mackenzie, 1st Viscount of Tarbat. The location, previously the site of Royston House, was completely rebuilt as Caroline Park.
With architectural links to Holyrood Palace, remnants of this connection still exist today. The French Baroque design sits prominently beside the Forth Estuary. The iconic towers that overlook West Shore Road serve as a striking reminder of the mansion’s long and storied past.
A suitably haunted past.
Alicia Ann Spottiswoode, the renowned Scottish singer-songwriter and wife of Lord John Montagu Douglas Scott (son of the 4th Duke of Buccleuch), reportedly had a strange experience at Caroline Park House.
She was said to be alone in the drawing room when a spectral cannonball appeared to crash through the window and bounce along the floor. When the serving staff arrived to investigate her distress, the cannonball had vanished—and the window remained intact.
This event was reportedly repeated in 1879, when a governess at Caroline Park House described a similar experience. Loud banging noises, thought to be the phantom cannonball, became a fairly common occurrence.
Another apparition is also said to haunt the grounds. A green lady, identified as Lady Royston, is said to emerge from the garden well and glide silently to the front door before disappearing.
Locals have passed down ghost stories about the mansion for generations.
Eyewitness account at Caroline House
Sharon Wood, a former resident of Caroline Park House, shared one of her most terrifying memories from the mid-1970s.
“One evening, I sat alone in our section of Caroline Park House, where I lived with my family. My mother worked as a cleaner for Ian Roland Architects. It was a Friday, and I was babysitting for my niece and nephews, who were asleep in the adjoining room.
“At around 9 pm, I noticed a light across the courtyard. It came from an unoccupied part of the building upstairs. The light resembled a candle, moving slowly past the windows. I panicked, gathered the children, and locked us into the room. With no phone, I decided to wait until my family returned.
“Suddenly, a loud crash rang out from the office directly above us. That part of the building was vacant at night. The sound of furniture being overturned and drawers rifled through filled me with dread. Then, everything went quiet. Whoever—or whatever—had been there seemed to have left.
“When my family came home, I told them what had happened. We checked the architect’s office upstairs. My mum unlocked the door, and to our surprise, the room was completely untouched. Nothing was out of place, and the door had remained securely locked.”
On another occasion, Sharon encountered something equally unsettling while playing in the attic with her niece.
The incident began with the sound of slow, deliberate footsteps on the flat roof. Though it was daylight, she could see no one outside. Then a noise from the rear of the attic caught her attention.
She turned around in time to see the small service lift slowly ascending towards her. The creaking sound grew louder as it approached. No one else was in the building, and no one could have operated the lift.
Whether these ghostly events continue today remains unclear. Caroline Park House is now a private residence. No recent reports of paranormal activity have surfaced.
The current caretaker believes the Green Lady has long since vanished. Unsettling noises, such as bells in the night, are more likely due to coastal winds and nautical traffic than supernatural causes.
Yet even now, the howling wind sweeps across the grounds of Caroline Park House. Dark shadows move across the lonely waters of the Forth Estuary, echoing the house’s haunted legacy.
Have you experienced ghostly encounters in Edinburgh or visited Caroline Park House? Share your stories in the comments below!
