Whether you love it or hate it, you have to admit that the story of Harry Potter is one of the most well known. How exciting is it that we can visit the birthplace of Harry Potter and fully explore the places that inspired J.K Rowling? Below are 7 places you have to visit in Scotland if you are a Harry Potter fan.
Edinburgh castle
Hard to miss, the castle stands high above the city of Edinburgh casting a beautiful shadow against the sky. From first glimpse it's easy to see how Hogwarts was inspired by this stunning castle. The castle is also a great day out for all ages.
Victoria street
A colourful street full of interesting and independent shops is worth a visit either way, however, for a Harry Potter fan, it shows clear Diagon Alley vibes. Some shops are clearly inspiration for, the now well known, wizarding shops of Diagon Alley...
Above are images of Victoria Street in Edinburgh, below are images of the Diagon Alley set from Warner Bros Studio tour.
The Elephant house (and other cafes)
There are many cafes where JK Rowling spent a lot of time writing parts of the Harry Potter books. The most known cafe is The Elephant House, although she really didn't spend much time here. It's most known and linked to her due to the view of Greyfriars kirkyard from the window.
Greyfriars kirkyard
This is one of Edinburgh's most known graveyards, not just due to the Harry Potter link, but because of the famous Greyfriars bobby. Around the graveyard are many graves featuring names which make many appearances in the books, including Voldemorts birth name...
Balmoral hotel
The Balmoral is most known as being the place where JK Rowling completed Harry Potter. As the story became so popular, she couldn't write in the cafes anymore as she was getting noticed far too much. So she started staying in the Balmoral hotel. When she finished the last page of the last book, she picked up a bust in her room, signed the bottom of it and checked out. You can stay in the same room and see the signed bust.
Inside the JK Rowling suite and the signed bust- images from Wizarding World and Rocco Forte Hotels.
City Chambers- high street
Right in the centre you can find JK Rowlings handprints! They are a great spot to start your Harry Potter adventure.
Glencoe
It's not just the city of Edinburgh that inspired parts of Harry Potter. The stunning lochs, mountains and surrounding scenery inspired a lot of the backdrop for Harry Potter. Glencoe is the most known for it's Harry Potter link as it became the back drop for some scenes in the films.
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