The Sauchie Poltergeist aka Wee Hughie
Morbid19 Okt 2023

The Sauchie Poltergeist aka Wee Hughie

When Annie Campbell uprooted her daughter from their home in Donegal, Ireland and relocated to Sauchie, Scotland in 1960, the move resulted in consequences far beyond what anyone could have expected. Removed from the only home she’d ever known, eleven-year-old Virginia Campbell did her best to acclimate to the foreign environment as she and her mother settled into the home of Virginia’s aunt, but within just a few weeks of their arrival the family was under siege from an invisible entity Virginia would later name “Wee Hughie.”

One of the most notorious cases of poltergeist activity in Scottish history, the case of the Sauchie poltergeist involved the usual trappings of poltergeist phenomenon—slamming doors, moving objects, and disruptive noises. Yet what set the phenomenon apart from myriad other cases of poltergeist phenomenon was that the supposedly supernatural phenomenon was witnessed by many bystanders, including Virginia’s teachers and classmates.

Was the Sauchie poltergeist a genuine example of paranormal activity, or was “Wee Hughie” nothing more than an elaborate hoax perpetrated by a creative girl seeking attention in the wake of major disruption in her life and environment?


Thank you to the lovely David White, of Bring Me the Axe podcast, for research assistance :)


References

Associated Press. 1960. "Haunted Irish girl gtets aid." Windsor Star, December 3: C-8.

Owen, A.R.G. 1964. Can We Explain the Poltergeist? New York, NY: Garrett Publications.

Robinson, Malcom. 2020. The Sauchie Poltergeist. Scotland: Independent.

Sims, Victor. 1965. "Poltergeist Terror." Sunday Mirror, June 13: 8.

—. 1965. "Virginia was possessed by a wild and unknown force." Sunday Mirror, June 27: 13.

United Press International. 1960. "Girl's ghost upsets school." Pittsburgh Press, December 2: 17.


Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)

Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)

Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley

Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally

Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025)


Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Episoder(841)

The Disappearance of Amy Lynn Bradley

The Disappearance of Amy Lynn Bradley

When Ron Bradley won an all-expense paid cruise to the Caribbean in 1998, it seemed like a great opportunity to have one last family vacation with his wife, Iva, and his kids, twenty-three-year-old Am...

27 Apr 1h 16min

April Bonus Episode:  Eclipse

April Bonus Episode: Eclipse

This month’s bonus episode we are revisiting Eclipse, where the stakes are higher, the wigs are worse, and the love triangle is somehow even more unhinged. Bella Swan continues her lifelong hobby of m...

24 Apr 1h 35min

The Man-Eaters of Tsavo

The Man-Eaters of Tsavo

In the spring of 1898, the British government began a large-scale infrastructure project, building a bridge connecting Uganda to Kilindini Harbor in Kenya. The ambitious project involved building a la...

23 Apr 1h 1min

Move-In Ready (To Ruin Your Life)

Move-In Ready (To Ruin Your Life)

This week we are packing their emotional support sage and heading straight into two deeply unsettling homes because apparently “cozy” is overrated. First stop: the infamous Blood House of Atlanta, whe...

20 Apr 50min

Glennon Engleman: The Killer Dentist

Glennon Engleman: The Killer Dentist

When twenty-seven-year-old James Bullock was shot and killed in St. Louis in the winter of 1958, investigators immediately focused their attention on Bullock’s wife, Edna, who was the beneficiary of h...

16 Apr 55min

Mad Madame Delphine LaLaurie

Mad Madame Delphine LaLaurie

In April 1834, a massive fire broke out at the mansion of Delphine LaLaurie on Royal Street in New Orleans French Quarter. LaLaurie was known to have kept several slaves as servants in the home, but w...

13 Apr 56min

Tillie Klimek: Mrs. Bluebeard of Chicago

Tillie Klimek: Mrs. Bluebeard of Chicago

Chicago in the 1920s is often remembered for the rise of organized crime and it’s larger than life leaders like Al Capone and Johnny Torrio. While these men and their organizations surely shaped the c...

9 Apr 49min

The Rescue of Baby Jessica McClure

The Rescue of Baby Jessica McClure

On October 14, 1987, Reba McClure and her eighteen-month-old daughter, Jessica, stopped by the Midland, Texas home of her sister for a visit. As Reba sat in the backyard watching Jessica play with som...

6 Apr 1h 7min

Populært innen Humor

papaya
rss-spartsklubben
harm-og-hegseth
enkel-servering
storefri-med-mikkel-og-herman
tore-og-haralds-podkast
tusvik-tnne
topp-3-med-wold-og-fladseth
ma-pa-behandling-med-morten-ramm
rss-nesten-hele-uka-med-lepperod
misjonen-med-antonsen-og-golden
folk-flest-med-linn-og-nils
hanna-de-heldige
wolfgang-wee-uncut
verdens-verste
jan-thomas-og-einar-blir-venner
rss-det-alle-snakker-om-med-siri-og-kim
rss-dette-ma-aldri-skje-igjen
gutta-backer
rss-dannet-uten-piano