Glasgow, in common with most ancient European cities, is built on layer upon layer of history. For centuries, tens of thousands of people have lived, worked and died in Glasgow. Plagues, famines, wars, disasters – the darkest fringes of human existence – they all form part of Glasgow’s turbulent past.

Over the course of the last one thousand years, Glasgow has risen on a foundation of its past. Buildings and roads have been built on buildings and roads, encapsulating and compressing the history beneath. Now imagine tunnelling into that past. Digging through ancient burial sites and plague pits, disturbing bones and desecrating graves. That was the merry task that confronted the pioneering engineers and builders who constructed Glasgow Subway system in 1896. The Subway opened in December of that year, by which point the underground network of tunnels and stations already had several well established ghost stories associated with them, originating from the experiences of the workers who had dug the tunnels and laid the tracks. By the present day, according to our research, there are 9 ghosts associated with the underground system.

The Clatter – West Street / Shields Road:

One of the grimmest tasks that confronted the workers who constructed Glasgow Subway was excavating human remains from the city’s medieval plague pits. The pits were impromptu mass graves, hastily prepared to cater for the sudden glut of deaths resulting from the outbreaks. One such pit was alleged to have been encountered whilst digging the stretch of tunnel that runs from West Street to Shields Road. Workers became concerned by the texture of the earth they were digging and alarmed by the regular discovery of bone fragments and teeth. Nonetheless, progress had to be made and soon a tunnel had been constructed, but workers continued to be suspicious of the area. They were right to be cautious, as it was this stretch of tunnel that gave rise to the story of the Clatter, an amorphous cloud-like spirit that would emerge from a wall, appearing first as a small hovering ball of light, no bigger than a golf ball, only to swell up, extending and enlarging suddenly, so as to engulf an entire area and anyone stood near. Its name derives from the noise it is supposed to produce, described by one worker as an intense clattering, like dozens of tin pans falling from a wall simultaneously and continuously. Hapless workers who encountered the Clatter during their time in the tunnels reported seeing the anguished faces of many long deceased souls in the mists that suddenly surrounded them. Following the reopening of Glasgow’s Subway in 1897, there were no further reports of this mysterious entity.

The Child Ghoul – West Street / Shields Road:

The stretch of track between West Street and Shields Road also gave rise to another particularly unpleasant ghost story. As well as the reports of the Clatter, workers also alleged that they had seen a demon on several occasions in the same area. The entity would appear out of shadows, then disappear quickly. Its face was described as being half boy, half animal and it would often appear to be in the act of devouring something when it was spotted. The last sighting was made in 1955, when workers reported seeing a “demented child” loitering in the tunnel near West Street. The workers reported the child to be eating raw meat, which they assumed he had stolen from the butchers above.

The Grey Lady Ghost – Shields Road:

The Grey Lady inhabits the platform and track area of Shields Road station. She is thought to be the ghost of a young woman who died falling onto the tracks in 1922. She is variously described as either being “dressed in grey” or having a “grey complexion” and is said to have a sad expression. Workmen, employees and customers have reported hearing distant footsteps coming from the tracks at the station, as well as whispering and weeping. In the 1960s, workmen repairing the track at the station claimed to have seen strange lights flickering and moving between them.

The Beautiful Lady – Hillhead:

Over many years, a mysterious and beautiful lady has been sighted wandering the platforms at Hillhead Station. She is described as wearing a 1930s style evening gown and as having an aura of happiness and frivolity. The ghost has been witnessed pacing up and down the platform and also stood still near the edge. In the 1990s, one worker described seeing her striding up and down the platform, singing at the top of her voice, only to suddenly disappear. Other witnesses have reported hearing laughter and whistling coming from the woman. The beautiful lady of Hillhead Station is certainly one of the friendliest ghosts that Glasgow Subway has to offer.

Robert Cobble, the blue, blind beggar – West Street:

Robert Cobble was a popular local eccentric who met a tragic end at the beginning of 1900s. He was famous for his bizarre style of dress and ridiculous claims to the thrones of England and Scotland. He went by the assumed title of Duke Robert and was a regular face at all the best drinking establishments. Beneath the comical exterior lay the sad truth that Robert was suffering from some kind of mental illness and had also developed a severe addiction to alcohol. Despite coming from a wealthy background, his destiny was set on a downwards trajectory. He had soon lost his family, his home and all his possessions and he ended up begging outside the shop that had once been owned by his father. One night, whilst sleeping on the steps of a local grocers shop, he was assaulted and robbed. He was seriously injured during the course of the attack. He lost sight in both eyes and was left needing a walking stick. Despite the hardship, Robert remained a happy soul, who would regale anyone he could with stories about his noble ancestors and fine upbringing. He died from the cold, outside West Street Station, sometime in the early 1900s. Since then, sightings have been reported of the ghost of a dishevelled beggar, huddled outside the entrance to the station, blue with cold.

The Hanging Man – Saint George’s Cross:

Strictly speaking, the hanging man ghost of Saint George’s Cross is not a Glasgow Underground ghost. It’s noteworthy in this article because sightings are proximate to the station. Witnesses to this gruesome apparition have described seeing the figure of a man, suspended in the air with a bent neck as though he had been hanged. No noose or gallows is evident. The man appears to be dressed in Victorian clothing. Several accounts report seeing the figure from the waste down only.

Disembodied Voice – Kelvinbridge:

In 1935, police were called to Kelvinbridge Subway Station following reports from a cleaner that talking and shouting had been heard coming from the platforms, despite the fact that the station was closed and all staff had left for the evening. On examination, the police found no one and no source for the noises. However, two policeman claimed to have experienced hearing shouting, including swearing and threats of violence. The witnesses stated that the shouting had seemed “extremely close”, as though someone was stood in front of them, screeching at full volume. No further accounts of the disembodied voice of Kelvinbridge are known.

Cat Ghost – Saint Enochs:

The ghost of a black cat has been witnessed on the platform at Saint Enochs station. All reports place this animal spectre on the platform of the station, with sightings occurring between midnight and 3.00am. This particular apparition has only ever been reported by workmen, who have stated that the playful creature scampers up and down the platform, then disappears before their eyes.

Poltergeist – Saint Enochs:

Rumours of a poltergeist at Saint Enochs station first surfaced during the Second World War, following a sustained blitzing of Glasgow city centre by Nazi bombers. Bombs had fallen all around the station and caused considerable damage to the neighbourhood, as well as many fatalities. The original Saint Enochs Subway Station was an elaborate building, built in a Jacobean style, utilising distinctive red bricks. The building housed both an overground ticket office and the head quarters of Glasgow District Subway Railway Company. It was the staff of the GDSRC who first reported the strange goings on in 1942. Objects would vibrate, move and even levitate in front of horrified staff. As well as this, a grey-green coloured substance appeared to ooze from the corners of a particular room, used to store files. One secretary claimed to have been knocked to the ground by some unseen force and an executive of the company reported having his laces tied together during a board meeting. The building has since been converted into a cafe.

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