Two Girls One Ghost - Episode 335: Scotland's Most Haunted House

Hosts: Corinne Vien & Sabrina Deana-Roga
Date: August 17, 2025

Overview

In this immersive and heavily researched episode, Corinne and Sabrina delve into the infamous story of Scotland’s most haunted house: Balikin House (also spelled Balkan House/Balakin House), a centuries-old estate renowned for its both tragic and chilling history. The girls explore the legacy of the Stewart family, the eccentricities of Major Robert Stewart, a wave of 19th-century hauntings, and the spectacular, career-destroying controversy that befell Ada Goodrich Freer, the world’s first celebrity ghost hunter. Alongside tales of ancestral pride, cruelty, poltergeists, phantom dogs, and scandalous Victorian investigations, the hosts reflect on questions of skepticism, gender, and the shifting sands of paranormal research.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The History and Setting of Balikin House (03:21 - 08:58)

• Balikin/Balkan House was a grand Georgian estate in Perthshire, Scotland, owned by the Stewart family since before the 15th century, with ties to Scottish royalty ("descendants of one of the kings" [01:49]).
• The estate included extensive grounds, churches, and outbuildings, and for centuries was home to dozens of Stewarts, their grieves, wives, servants, and possibly their ghosts.
• The only surviving remnant of the original house was a carved Stewart family arms from 1579, firmly embedded in the new manor built in 1806.

2. Major Robert Stewart: Reincarnation and Death (10:34 - 14:23)

• Major Robert Stewart, heir after the premature deaths of his brothers, lived a military life in India and returned home convinced of reincarnation, particularly that he would be reborn as a black spaniel.
• He collected 14 black spaniels, making clear to staff his spiritual intentions, threatening:

  “You better take care…for when I am gone, my soul will go into a mole and haunt the garden—and you too.” ([11:25], paraphrased)

• Upon his death (1876), his nephew John Stewart inherited the estate, changed his family name to Stewart, and, deeply disturbed by the reincarnation talk, allegedly ordered ALL of Robert's spaniels—and any dog found on the property—to be killed ([13:47]).
  • Sabrina and Corinne note the irony:

    Corinne: “Apparently it’s not devilish to murder innocent animals though. How ironic.” ([14:18])

3. Early Hauntings and Poltergeist Activity (14:23 - 19:20)

• Hauntings began almost immediately: a pervasive smell of wet dog, unexplained knocks, explosive sounds, fights, cold spots, the feeling of being nudged by unseen animals, voices, and persistent bedclothes pulling ([15:10]-[17:16]).
• John’s family and staff became so frightened they refused to live in the main part of the house; a new wing was built, and even nuns retreated from certain portions of the estate due to disturbances.

4. Documented Supernatural Encounters: Priests and the Phantom Dog (19:38 - 23:46)

• Father Hayden (Jesuit priest, 1892):
  Multiple nights in Balikin induced panic: animalistic shrieks, explosive crashes, and, most disturbingly,

  “a large animal throwing itself violently against the outside of his door.” ([20:59])

• Hayden’s confession that Robert Stewart was likely the cause led to prayers for the restless soul, which temporarily eased the disturbances.

5. The Society for Psychical Research (SPR) and Ada Goodrich Freer (31:46 – 38:06)

• As hauntings escalated and tenants abandoned the property, the SPR organized an extraordinary investigation, led by Ada Goodrich Freer (1857-1931), journalist, scientist, and the world’s first “celebrity ghost hunter.”
• Ada’s profile was unique—not only as a woman in a male-dominated field but for her rigorous, scientific approach and penchant for secrecy (writing as “Ms. X”).
• Sabrina notes the injustice that followed:

  “...she and others…did as much as possible to erase her from history. But she also did it herself because of what happened.” ([38:07])

6. The Great Balikin Investigation: Encounters, Apparitions, and Hypotheses (43:11 – 65:31)

• 35 people spent up to four months in Balikin (Feb–May 1897), performing Ouija, crystal gazing, and rigorous daily logs (“hundreds of… [entries],” [45:05]).
• Notable Hauntings:
  • Phantom Dog(s):
    Ghost spaniels (sometimes seen, often only heard), a dog playing with Ada’s own pet—

    “I saw a black dog larger than mine dart across the room…then my real dog, Spooks, ran in from the opposite side…” ([47:48])

    • Grotesque sounds of animal death and ghostly paws pressing on nightstands.
  • The Nun and the Gray Woman ([49:56] – [55:49]):
    • Multiple independent witnesses see a weeping nun spirit (later revealed as possibly Isabel Stewart, Robert’s sister and a real historical nun) comforted by an older “gray woman” (hypothesized as “Margaret” by Ouija).
    • The spirits’ recurring tableau evokes tragedy—possibly the trauma of a woman forced into the nunnery.
    • Notable quote, Sabrina:

      “But are they showing it to people, or are they…existing in another plane and the people just keep seeing it?...Some lapse in time?” ([53:52])

  • The Brown Crucifix (Room 3):
    • Aggressively presented floating cross, seen by several investigators and a priest ([56:04] – [59:16]).
    • Distinctly different “oppressive” feeling from other hauntings; speculation over whether the apparition is warning, blessing, or threatening.
    • Corinne:

      “So it does feel more like someone’s trying to present something that’s holy…like prevent something.” ([59:50])

  • The Limping Man (Room 4):
    • Footsteps and dragging sounds in the former bedroom of Major Robert Stewart.
    • Tests to recreate the noise failed; phenomena was “heavier and echoey” ([62:32]).

7. The Controversial Aftermath: Sexism, Slander, and Professional Ruin (65:31 – 74:12)

• After the scientific, multi-month study, Ada plans to release the findings as serialized articles.
• An anonymous, scathing article in The Times (“On the Trail of Ghosts”) outs the true location and participants of the investigation, calling Ada “unfit” due to her “duties as hostess” ([67:09]).
  • Sabrina:

    “...simply because she is a lady…she is unfit to carry out the actual work of investigating the phenomena…” ([67:09])

• Public opinion, the Stewarts’ desire for privacy, and institutional misogyny converge; Ada is fired from the SPR and forever branded a fraud, despite mounting evidence of the house’s hauntings.
• Testimony from a household worker, Harold Saunders, tries to defend the hauntings:

  “[the knocks]…occurred almost nightly for two months…[and] I felt my sheets being lifted off of me…” ([68:01])

• Ada’s defense and attempts to clear her name in the press go unheeded.
• Corinne’s analogy:

  “It’s like…if she fudged a few things, I don’t blame her…I guess it just depends on what the setting was.” ([74:49])

8. The End of Balikin House (76:07 – end)

• Plagued by notoriety and abandonment, the house eventually fell into ruin and was destroyed by fire in 1963 ([76:07]).
• Only the servant quarters remain; Sabrina mourns its loss:

  “If this was a movie, I would think it was fictional…It has all the elements that you would want in a great movie.” ([76:34])

Listener Story: The Haunted Scottish Dorm (78:41 – 87:30)

From Bethany:
A short but chilling firsthand account of a high-schooler’s stay at a Scottish university dorm during the Fringe Festival:

• She endures hearing her name called, crying reflected in her mirror, hair magically braided overnight, and three weeks of continuous, inexplicable scratching.
• A vivid dream as someone trapped and clawing at a door brings grim resolution to the haunting.
• Validation from a friend (“I heard you crying last night. Just stop.” [81:33]) and hosts send chills.
• Sabrina muses about the blending of traumatic events and residual energy:

  “What if her crying…bled through time and was residually haunting Bethany? But then the story took turns.” ([85:12])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Justice for Ada:

  Sabrina: "Justice for Ada." ([03:06]) (This refrain punctuates the episode as Ada’s story unfolds.)

• On Ancestral Pride:

  Corinne: “[It’s] kind of creepy…to have a society all about you and your family.” ([04:35])

• On the Spectral Dog:

  Sabrina: “...the sound that alarmed him the most...a large animal throwing itself violently against the outside of his door...” ([20:59])

• On Historical Repetition:

  Corinne: “We will never, ever be done with this podcast.” ([03:01])

• On the Scandal:

  Sabrina: “And honestly just want to say up front, like, justice for Ada.” ([03:06])

• On the Hauntings’ Impact:

  Sabrina: “The hauntings become so prominent that John builds a new wing in 1883, and they no longer live in the old portion of the house...” ([17:40])

• On Paranormal Investigations:

  Sabrina: “There is a full…addendum of all of the hauntings, all of the sounds, what date they were heard, who witnessed it, what the sound sounded like, what room…” ([44:29])

• On the Fleeting Nature of Activity:

  Sabrina “the hardest thing about the paranormal…there doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason. You could spend a hundred nights...and experience zero hauntings. But the day you leave, all of the hauntings could happen.” ([22:22])

• On Sexism in Science:

  Sabrina: "She is unfit to carry out the actual work of investigating the phenomena in question." ([67:09])

• On the Cruelty of Fate:

  Corinne: “He killed a bunch of dogs. I’m not sure I’m going to–that he can redeem himself in my eyes after that.” ([67:55])

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Intro to Balikin House and Major Robert Stewart: 03:21 – 14:23
• Onset of Poltergeist Activity: 14:23 – 19:20
• Nuns and Early Investigations: 19:38 – 23:46
• SPR and Ada Goodrich Freer: 31:46 – 38:06
• Full-scale Investigation & Apparitions: 43:11 – 65:31
• Backlash & Ada’s Downfall: 65:31 – 74:12
• Demise of the House: 76:07 – end
• Listener Story: Scottish Dorm Haunting: 78:41 – 87:30

Tone and Style Notes

• The hosts maintain their usual blend of humor, wonder, righteous indignation, and empathy for haunted souls—both living and dead.
• The attitude towards historic injustice (“justice for Ada!” cheers, outrage at misogynist slander), open-minded skepticism, and curiosity weave the chilling and the tragic together.
• The story is told with respect for historical details, nuance on paranormal phenomena, and a clear affection for both the haunted and the haunters.

Conclusion

Episode 335 delivers a masterclass in gothic storytelling intermixed with contemporary skepticism. The Balikin House stands as a character in itself—a place marked by centuries of trauma, eccentricity, and relentless spectral energy, as well as by the destructive power of prejudice and scandal. Through the fascinating story of Ada Goodrich Freer, the girls make a powerful case for remembering women erased by history, and for the enduring weirdness and mysteries of haunted places. The listener story cements the consensus: Scotland, its castles, and its ghosts remain, in every sense, “very spooky.” ([00:39], [89:55])