The Ultimate Harry Potter Tour of Edinburgh

If you are a traveller who is also a fan of Harry potter then better add the beautiful place of Edinburgh to your bucket list. This is considered as the birthplace of the Harry Potter was written by author JK Rowling. It is believed that the magical world of Harry Potter was inspired from the streets of this place. Often you get to see places that have quite a relevance to what you’ve seen in the movie. In this article, we take a quick glance into the ultimate Harry Potter tour of Edinburgh.

This is also one of the foremost reason for people to travel to the capital city of Edinburgh. Starting from places like cafes where the author sat down and wrote a few of the chapters of the famous Harry Potter novel. It’s been almost a year since the last part of the movie came out. But the craze for the novel hasn’t gone down yet, so is the ‘Harry Potter side of Edinburgh’.

Things to do in the Harry Potter tour of Edinburgh

• Victoria Street
• Elephant House
• Greyfriar’s Kirkyard
• Balmoral Hotel
• George Heriot’s School
• Nicolson’s Café

1. Victoria Street

This is one of the famous streets in Edinburgh, Victoria Street. The street is completely packed with buildings resembling the ones you’ve seen in the movie or probably read in the Novel. The small and also colourful shops on these streets add on to the beauty of this street. In fact, JK Rowling has taken inspiration for the Diagon Alley from this street. There is a shop called Diagon House, where you can find Harry Potter-esque things.  The street connects a bridge and another famous attraction called the Grass market.

Strolling along the streets for a Harry Potter fan is by far the most joyful things to do. To witness the buildings at such close proximity, at times feels so immersive such that you’ll feel lost in the magical world of Harry Potter. These streets draw as many tourists every year as any other popular attraction in the whole of Edinburgh.

Also read: The Best Cocktail Bars in Edinburgh

2. Elephant House

The Elephant House is one of the original sites from Harry Potter’s novel.  This is the place where the author had penned the Stone of Philosophers. She was a struggling single mother when she was writing down this part of the novel. The walls are filled with the messages from Harry Potter fans around the world who visit this place. Apart from this, the place is also visited by several other authors with the likes of Ian Rankin, Alexander McCall-Smith and a few other famous authors. 

You can also see modern graffiti arts of a few of the characters from harry potter on the walls of the Cafe. Don’t forget to try the cake at the cafe and the view of the castle from the cafe’s window is just beautiful. You would surely not want to leave even after the cake is over. This is one of the famous attractions in the Harry Potter tour of Edinburgh.

Also read: Edinburgh Castle – An escapade into history

3. Greyfriar’s Kirkyard

This is a vintage graveyard located at the southern end of the Old town. The graveyard surrounds a church and it is believed that the burial practices existed in this place since the 16th Century. There are few other monuments and buildings inside this place which also serve as major tourist attractions. The Kirkyard is maintained by the Edinburgh council.  

Strolling along the graveyard you can find graves related to harry potter, might find names in the grave similar to the ones in the Harry Potter Novel. And also a few graves of notable people who lived in Europe, like poets, etc. Not just for the graves, but this place is also visited by people love silence and you need to respect the place where the native Scottish people are sleeping under the ground. This is one of the relaxing places to visit on the Harry Potter tour of Edinburgh.

Also read: Top 11 Reasons to Visit Inverness: Best place to visit in Scotland

4. Balmoral Hotel

Now, this is a 5-Star hotel located in the heart of Edinburgh. This hotel was opened in 1902. How is this 19th Century 5-Star hotel related to Harry Potter? The Author Jk Rowling started off in the cafes and went on to script the last part of the Harry Potter series – Harry Potter and Deathly Hallows in 2007. Visiting this place would make your Harry potter tour a complete one. This is one of the important places to cover in the Harry Potter tour of Edinburgh.

The Balmoral clock is another gigantic structure in central Edinburgh. In fact, the clock is set three minutes faster to make sure people don’t miss their trains. During the New Year’s Eve, the clock is again set to correct time to celebrate the New year on time. Suite no. 552 in the hotel is named after the author JK Rowling. The Scottish whiskey is a must-try if you are visiting this hotel.

5. George Heriot’s School

The school of George Heriot was founded in 1628 and first opened as a hospital for boys as an orphanage and as a charity school (hospital). Many claims that the Hogwarts school from the Harry Potter series was derived from this notable Scottish school along with few other buildings inside the premise.   

Nevertheless, considering that George Heriot’s School is co-educated with the style of the 17th century, four towers and four houses, the number of people who believe that this school is associated with Hogwarts is clear to see. Especially because the George Heriot School in central Edinburgh is situated right next to Rowling’s frequently visited cafes. This is one of the places with a historical touch to it in the Harry Potter tour of Edinburgh.

Also read: BEST VEGAN AND VEGETARIAN RESTAURANTS IN EDINBURGH

6. Nicolson’s Café

This is another cafe where the author spent her starting days as a single parent during the first few chapters of the Harry Potter Novel. Back in those days, Rowling was financially down and had started writing in cafes ordering just a coffee. Next to the Elephant house, this is also visited by diehard Harry Potter fans from around the world. 

Surely these are the only places to cover on the Harry Potter tour of Edinburgh. But the one’s you see on this list is not supposed to be missed. What are you waiting for? Get in touch with the destination experts from Pickyourtrail to customise your next United Kingdom vacation according to your needs. Check out our guides page for more info on the destination or leave a Whatsapp inquiry for more options.