Can you feel the echoes of history here at Edinburgh Napier University – Craiglockhart Campus? Standing before this imposing building, it’s hard to believe the dramatic transformations it has witnessed. The Craiglockhart campus was originally a luxury hydropathic institute, complete with Turkish baths, hot and cold plunges, and even day trips. Patients could indulge in the ultimate water cure, escaping the hustle and bustle of city life in the calming surroundings. But the hydropathic’s success was short-lived. It faltered financially and changed hands several times before being seized by the army in 1916. During the First World War, the building was transformed into a military psychiatric hospital to treat those suffering from shell-shock. One of the most famous patients here was the poet Wilfred Owen, whose experiences at Craiglockhart deeply moved his work. Owen was encouraged by Dr Brock, a commanding officer at Craiglockhart, to confront his traumas and express them through poetry.
Owen was not the only literary figure at Craiglockhart; fellow poet Siegfried Sassoon was also admitted. The pair’s shared experiences at Craiglockhart inspired some of the most powerful anti-war poetry of the 20th century. After the war, the hydropathic became a convent, followed by a Catholic teacher training college, before becoming a campus for Napier College, later becoming Edinburgh Napier University. Today, Edinburgh Napier University – Craiglockhart Campus, houses the Business School. While the exterior has been preserved, many of the building’s original features are no longer visible. That is because there was an extensive restoration and modernization program in the early 2000s, including the addition of a new wing to house the Business School. However, you can still appreciate the rich history of this campus when you walk through the grounds. And you can imagine the famous poets who once walked these grounds during their time of healing and inspiration.