Edinburgh has a deep connection with the wizarding world of Harry Potter and there are several Harry Potter sites in Edinburgh that fans can visit. Most notably, it was the home of J.K. Rowling when she wrote the majority of the Harry Potter books.

Rowling has acknowledged her connection to the city stating that “…Edinburgh is very much home for me and is the place where Harry evolved over seven books and many, many hours of writing in its cafés.”

Want to sit and sip coffee in the same café that J.K. Rowling wrote the Harry Potter books? See turreted buildings that may have been the inspiration for Hogwarts? See graves and streets that may have influenced the names of Harry Potter characters? Drink a pint of butterbeer in a local pub? We’ll provide all you need to know to find these places on your own or visit them on a fun walking tour.

However, as we dug into the evidence we found that some of the places and sights associated with J.K. Rowling and Harry Potter seem to be based more on fiction than reality. We’ll provide not only a list of the top Harry Potter sites in Edinburgh and how to visit them, but we’ll also try to separate fact from fiction in their relationship to Harry Potter and his famous inventor.

We also provide a walking map of all the Harry Potter spots in Edinburgh to help you explore on your own, a graveyard map to the famous Tom Riddle grave and others, and a list of tour companies that offer guided Harry Potter tours.

J.K. Rowling grew up in England but it is interesting to note that she is 1/4 Scottish on her mother’s side, and her parents actually met on a train ride to Scotland. Fateful train rides seem to run in the family as Rowling would first have the idea for Harry Potter on a delayed train from Manchester to London in 1990.

Rowling would come to Edinburgh in 1993 to be nearer her sister and although she had already started work on Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, much of the writing of the seven Harry Potter novels would take place in Edinburgh.

Despite the connection between Edinburgh and the Harry Potter series, none of the filming for the movies took place in Edinburgh. However, you can find Harry Potter filming locations in Scotland, including the Hogwarts Express steam train. You can find a list of tours here from Edinburgh that visit these sites and some even include a train ride.

But fans will still find many places to visit that were real-life places in J.K. Rowling’s life and places around the city that may have inspired Harry Potter characters and places. The great thing about these sites is that most of them are very close together and are easy to walk to from central Edinburgh. There are a number of Harry Potter themed city walking tours that include these sites that you can book.

Ready to learn about the top things to do in Edinburgh for Harry Potter fans? Grab your broomsticks and wands and let’s get started as we explore the top Harry Potter sites in Edinburgh!

Harry Potter Sites in Edinburgh

Here is a comprehensive list of the top Harry Potter sites in Edinburgh. We’ve visited them all, most of them several times, so do let us know if you have any questions. These are listed in no particular order although see map towards end of post about where they are each located in Edinburgh:

1. Nicolson’s Cafe (now Dun Dun Delicious, formerly Spoon)

Address: 6a Nicolson Street, Edinburgh EH8 9DH

Harry Potter Connection 

Nicolson’s Café was one of the places where J. K. Rowling as a newly divorced single mother wrote parts of her first Harry Potter novel, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. She had already started writing the novel before her arrival in Edinburgh, but she would finish the manuscript in Edinburgh, writing in her spare time while taking care of her young daughter Jessica.

Rowling had very little money in her early years living in Edinburgh and she would often go to write in the city’s cafés where she could write for the price of a cup of coffee.

One of the reasons that Rowling spent so much time at the cafe was that at the time it was  co-owned by Rowling’s brother-in-law Roger Moore. Nicolson’s Café was a first floor restaurant (second floor for Americans) on the corner of Nicolson and Drummond Street.

Tips for Visiting

Nicolson’s Café has long since closed. The location was then turned into a Chinese buffet restaurant, then a bistro named Spoon, and is now a Chinese restaurant called Dun Dun Delicious. 

There is a plaque on the corner of Drummond Street saying that “J.K. Rowling wrote some of the early chapters of Harry Potter in the rooms on the first floor of this building”. 

You can stop in here for lunch or dinner if you are hungry for some Chinese food. This place is generally much less busy than The Elephant House so go here if looking for a quieter place to enjoy a former haunt of J. K. Rowling.

NOTE: You may see the cafe’s name and address incorrectly spelled across the Internet by people who have simply copied and pasted the wrong name and address from others (there are hundreds of people who appear to have done this!). The street is Nicolson Street not Nicholson street and the cafe was called Nicolson’s Cafe not Nicholson’s Cafe.

Fact or Fiction?

This one is fact and it has a plaque to prove it. J. K. Rowling has talked about how she had very little money when she moved to Edinburgh and that she spent a lot of time writing in cafés. Rowling said this when asked about the best place to write in an Urbanette interview:

“It’s no secret that the best place to write, in my opinion, is in a café. You don’t have to make your own coffee, you don’t have to feel like you’re in solitary confinement and if you have writers block, you can get up and walk to the next café while giving your batteries time to recharge and brain time to think. The best writing café is crowded enough to allow you blend in, but not too crowded that you have to share a table with someone else.”  

In a BBC TV interview special in December 2001, she noted: “I went out and wrote in cafes because the way to make Jessica fall asleep was to keep her moving—in the pushchair. So I used to take her out, tie her out, put her in the pushchair, walk her along—the moment she fall asleep, into the nearest café and write.”

She also noted that her baby daughter Jessica would often sleep next to her while she wrote. She wrote Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone in long-hand and then later would type it out on a typewriter at home.

She said in the 2001 BBC Interview that Nicolson’s Cafe was where she wrote huge sections of her first Harry Potter book. She noted,

“This was a really great place to write, because there were so many tables around here that I didn’t feel too guilty about taking a table up too long and that was my favorite table. I always wanted to try and get that one because it was out of the way in the corner. It was just great to look up when you were writing and stop and think about things and be able to look out on the street which was quite busy.”

That said, the actual cafe she visited (Nicolson’s Cafe) is long gone but the building is still there and you can still get coffee or tea here (alongside some Chinese food!).

2. The Elephant House

Address: 21 George IV Bridge, Edinburgh EH1 1EN

Harry Potter Connection

The Elephant House, which has a sign proclaiming itself as the “birthplace of Harry Potter”, was where J.K. Rowling penned later Potter novels and is probably the best known of the Harry Potter locations in Edinburgh. The café was also once frequented by a number of other now famous writers such as Ian Rankin and Alexander McCall-Smith. 

Tips for Visiting

The cafe owes much of its current popularity to J. K. Rowling, and this is the busiest of all the Harry Potter sites in Edinburgh. On our last walk by the cafe, there was a note on the door saying that the cafe has instituted a policy where you need to either order food or a drink or pay a small fee for photographs if you want to come inside.

The Elephant House is typically open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, so stop by for a meal anytime or just a cup of coffee and pastry. You’ll be asked to wait and then place an order at the counter before being seated. This place is a popular tourist spot and can be a zoo so best to come early or late to avoid waiting in a long line for a seat.

However, despite the loads of tourists the lunch we had there recently was reasonably priced and portions were generous. Ask for a seat near the window (if you can) for views of nearby Greyfriar’s Kirkyard and the more distant Edinburgh Castle. 

The decor here is mostly elephant related, but there are some Harry Potter and J.K. Rowling associated photos on the wall. Perhaps the greatest homage to Harry Potter here lives in the bathrooms so be sure to visit the toilets during your visit.

NOTE: On August 24, 2021, a fire in the building sadly caused significant damage to The Elephant House and two neighboring businesses. We were here in September 2021 and although the exterior looks pretty much the same, the inside has suffered significant damage caused by fire and water. The owners hope it will reopen by Summer 2024. Please check the cafe’s website for the latest news regarding the reopening dates.

In the meantime, while the original Elephant House is closed, you can visit The Elephant House Magical Cafe, a small cafe opened by the same owners. It opened in December 2023 and is located a short walk away at 30 Victoria Street. It serves coffee, tea, hot chocolate, and butterscotch beer.

Currently, the table that J.K. Rowling sat at (which the owner said was salvaged and refurbished after the fire) is here along with some photos of the J.K. Rowling. So you can stop here and enjoy a drink until the real Elephant House is able to reopen.

Fact or Fiction?

Fact with a dash of fiction. It is definitely a fact that Rowling wrote here and there are photos and interview materials to prove that Rowling spent some time writing here.

However, its claim to be the “Birthplace of Harry Potter” is not really true and she had started writing Harry Potter years before visiting this cafe. Rowling has stated a number of times that she conceived the idea of Harry Potter on a train ride from Manchester to London in 1990. She first started writing in a flat in Clapham Junction flat in London and continued after moving to Porto, Portugal. She continued working on the novel after moving to Edinburgh in 1993, finishing the first manuscript in 1995.

The Elephant House opened in 1995. So while she may have not started Harry Potter here and most likely did not write any of the first novel here, she definitely spent some time writing here when working on subsequent books.

There is a good video interview of J. K. Rowling in The Elephant House on the coffeehouse’s homepage, at the time of the interview Rowling had just sold her second Harry Potter book and was working on a third. It is interesting to watch.

Rowling finally directly addressed The Elephant House’s claim as the “birthplace of Harry Potter” a few years after I wrote this article. As we’ve been saying here for years, this was in no way the “birthplace” of the idea or the first place she starting writing Harry Potter. In response to a fan’s question, she said the following on Twitter in May 21, 2020: “I’d been writing Potter for several years before I ever set foot in this cafe, so it’s not the birthplace, but I *did* write in there so we’ll let them off!”

3. Greyfriar’s Kirkyard

Address: Greyfriars Place, Edinburgh. EH1 2QQ

Harry Potter Connection

Greyfriar’s Kirkyard is the graveyard surrounding Greyfriar’s Kirk (church), and it was a place close to both of the mentioned coffee houses frequented by J. K. Rowling. It has been said that some of the gravestones here may have given Rowling inspiration for some of her famous Harry Potter characters. The most famous is the grave of Thomas Riddell which may have inspired the name for the fictional evil Lord Voldemort (birth name: Tom Marvolo Riddle).

A gravestone for Voldemort’s father is mentioned in the books and depicted in the film Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, with the fictional movie gravestone bearing the names of Thomas Riddle (Voldemort’s paternal grandfather), Mary Riddle (grandmother), and Tom Riddle Snr. (the character’s  father).

In Edinburgh there is the gravestone of the real-life deceased Thomas Riddell Esquire, of Befsborough in Berwick, who died at the age of 72 on November 24, 1806. The gravestone also commemorates other Riddell family members, including his son Thomas Riddell Esquire who served as a Captain of the 14th Regiment and died at Trinidad in the West Indies in September 12, 1802 at the young age of 26. 

There are several others graveyard names that have been thought to perhaps be tied to Harry Potter characters, and one could spend forever trying to find similarly named people in the graveyard. In fact there are graves that have the first or second names of many characters in the books. However, there are two other ones that seem to regularly attract Harry Potter fans.

The first is the gravestone of William McGonagall, who shares a last name with fictional Harry Potter character Professor Minerva McGonagall played in the films by the revered Dame Maggie Smith. The real-life William McGonagall was a Scottish poet and weaver, and is actually rather well-known (at least in Scotland) for being a notoriously bad poet. He died in September 29, 1902 at age 77. 

Finally there is the grave of Mrs. Elizabeth Moodie which some think may have inspired the name of the fictional Harry Potter character Alastor “Mad-Eye” Moody. The real-life Ms. Moodie was wife of James Barid, the Deputy King’s Remembrancer of Exchequer. 

Tips for Visiting

Fact or Fiction?

A lot of fiction and a bit of fact. This one is harder to confirm but Rowling has never stated (to my knowledge) ever having directly used any names from the tombstones at Greyfriars Kirkyard in her Harry Potter books. However, she has noted she draws names from all kinds of places and has mentioned gravestones as a good source of information and Greyfriars Kirkyard is a short walk from The Elephant House.

In a 1999 radio interview with Christopher Lydon Rowling stated when asked where she gets her names that she invents some of them “…but I also collect them, from all kinds of places: maps, street names, people I meet, old books, old saints…”. Similarly, in a 1999 Barnes and Noble interview when asked about names: “And so far I have got names from saints, place-names, war memorials, gravestones. I just collect them — I am so interested in names.”

In terms of the Thomas Riddell gravestone, Rowling does not appear to have borrowed the name, at least not knowingly. According to several newspapers (although none provide any sort of verifiable quote), Rowling has been asked about the Thomas Riddell gravestone and whether it inspired the name for the fictional evil Lord Voldemort, and she has said she did not intentionally use the name from the gravestone but that it may have “subconsciously” been an inspiration.

For instance an Edinburgh News article in 2013 reported: “JK Rowling has previously said that the tombstone of Thomas Riddell Esquire in the famous Kirkyard may have subconsciously been the inspiration for nasally challenged Voldemort’s true name, since she often took strolls through the spot, which is overlooked by the Elephant House cafe, where she wrote several of the books.” 

So this connection seems weak at best. She has stated when asked about Harry Potter character names that “some of them are invented; Voldemort is an invented name” and it is French for “flight of death” or “theft of death” so we do know the origins of that part of his name.

I could find no information from J.K. Rowling or elsewhere that showed any connection between the gravestone or name of Elizabeth Moodie and the naming of Alastor “Mad-Eye” Moody. Although I could also find no information on where she got this name. This one seems to have no basis in any facts.

J. K. Rowling has confirmed a connection between the name of Professor McGonagall and the Scottish poet (whose grave is at Greyfriars), stating when asked about how she came up with the name for the character in the 1999 radio interview with Christopher Lydon:  “yeah, McGonagall, old erm – very, very, very bad Scottish poet, McGonagall is – I just loved the name.”

So Rowling may have indeed saw the name on the tombstone, although it is also likely that Rowling as a British person with Scottish ties would have known the poet’s name without having seen it on a tombstone. Out of the three, this one actually seems to have the most merit.

4. George Heriot’s School

Address: Lauriston Place, Edinburgh EH3 9EQ

Harry Potter Connection

George Heriot’s School was built in 1628 and first opened as an orphanage and charitable school (hospital) for boys, and is today a co-ed prestigious primary and secondary school. This notable turreted Scottish Renaissance school with its four buildings is believed by many to have served as the inspiration for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. 

Tips for Visiting

George Heriot’s School is still an active school and therefore not open to the general public, but you can still admire the building through the gate or from different spots in the city. You can see it from a several places, including from Greyfriar’s Kirkyard, Lauriston Place, Edinburgh Castle esplanade, and the Geroge IV Bridge. 

It has been open to the public on rare occasions, such as for Open Doors day events.

Fact or Fiction? 

False. I could find no evidence for it being true. I could not find any information on JK Rowling ever saying what building or buildings inspired her description of Hogwarts. She has only said that Hogwarts is located in Scotland, but not that it is based on any particular school in Scotland.

In fact, she has said that she had already written about Hogwarts before she came to Edinburgh or had visited Edinburgh Castle. Although even before she moved to Scotland, she did imagine the school of witchcraft and wizardry to be in Scotland.

She said in a  2002 interview that “Hogwarts is a very real place to me, and although I wasn’t then living in Scotland, I’ve always imagined it to be in Scotland… which… it was never made explicit in the books but the British reader will know that because if you do travel for a day from King’s Cross Station in London and you go north, you end up in Scotland. So it was always supposed to be here.”

Hogwarts, unlike George Heriot, is a boarding school and Rowling has talked a bit about why she chose to set much of the book within a boarding school. Here is a quote from a 1997 interview with The Sunday Times:

“It had to be a boarding school to sustain the fantasy….He [Harry] had to go somewhere that’s an enclosed world to have his adventures. Kids are incredibly powerless because everything is determined for them, so a rich fantasy life in which they do have power is almost inevitable. And a middle-class boarding school is a world where they are free of their parents. Being an orphan is very liberating in a book. I think it’s a common fantasy of children that somehow these parents aren’t their parents.”

Rowling has said she does not know exactly where the name for Hogwarts came from, although she has noted in a 2001 interview with the Syndney Morning Herald that it may have been taken from a type of lily that she saw with her friend at Kew Gardens in London.

However, given the fact that George Heriot’s School is a co-ed secondary school with four houses, four towers and the 17th century architecture, it is easy to see how many people have assumed that there may have been a connection between this school and Hogwarts. Especially since the George Heriot’s School is located in central Edinburgh and right next to the cafés that Rowling frequented regularly.

However, the UK is full of historical schools and university buildings with turrets and interesting architectural features so a number of places could have served as inspiration. In Edinburgh alone you have George Heriot’s School, Fettes College, Stewart’s Melville College, and Donaldson’s School. It could also have just have easily come mainly from her imagination or from another writer’s depiction of a school.

We’ve had people comment and write us emails telling us quite vehemently that this school or that school was the inspiration for Hogwarts. However, there is no evidence for any of this and recently Rowling has stated specifically that none of the Edinburgh schools or collages served as a direct inspiration for Hogwarts

J.K. Rowling wrote this on Twitter: “I sometimes hear Hogwarts was based on one or other of Edinburgh’s schools, but that’s 100% false, too. Hogwarts was created long before I clapped eyes on any of them!”

5. Balmoral Hotel

Address: 1 Princes St, Edinburgh EH2 2EQ

Harry Potter Connection

The Balmoral Hotel is a 5-star 19th century hotel in central Edinburgh, and it was here that Rowling finished her final Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. It is also here that she famously wrote on a marble bust of the god Hermes in the expensive suite, scribbling the following on the bust: “JK Rowling finished writing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in this room (552) on 11th Jan 2007”. 

Tips for Visiting

The Balmoral Hotel is a luxury hotel and anyone can stay here for a price (check current prices here). You can even stay in the same room (552) as the famous author, which has been renamed the J.K. Rowling Suite.

This beautiful suite is currently priced at about £2,000 a night and is a pilgrimage site for well-off Harry Potter fans. We’ve been lucky enough to see the room but have never stayed here. In the room, the marble bust she wrote on is still kept in the room but has been placed in a glass display case in order to protect it. 

If you aren’t staying here, the hotel has some great restaurants and also serves afternoon tea each day. So if you want to visit without staying, you might consider enjoying a meal or afternoon tea here.

Fact or Fiction? 

This is definitely a fact and has been confirmed by statements by both  J. K. Rowling and Balmoral Hotel staff. Rowling stated that she was having a hard time finishing the novel at home and wanted to get away from distractions for a while and decided to head to the Balmoral.

Apparently very few people knew she was staying here and it was kept quiet until after she finished her book (ah, the days before everyone was on social media!). It is pretty amazing how Rowling wrote her first book while living on welfare and working in cafés and was able to finish her book in one of the most expensive hotels in Edinburgh.

Note that some new articles and blogs report the wrong hotel room number, but it is definitely 552 based on our research.

6. Victoria Street & the Grassmarket Area

Address: Victoria St., Edinburgh EH1 2HE

Harry Potter Connection 

Victoria Street is a narrow curved street in central Edinburgh’s Grassmarket area and is believed by some to be an inspiration for Diagon Alley (a cobblestone shopping street with stores selling wizardly supplies) in the Harry Potter books.

Victoria Street is a colorful old street with many brightly painted shops and buildings, some with pointed roofs, which many fans say are similar to the shops described along Diagon Alley.

More generally, some believe that many of the streets (like West Bow and Candlemaker Row) and buildings in the Grassmarket area may have served as inspiration for Rowling.

Tips for Visiting

The Grassmarket area is a great place to wander around if you are visiting Edinburgh for the first time. Victoria Street is a pretty street and not far from The Elephant House or the location for the weekly Grassmarket market (every Saturday).

The Grassmarket area is a popular place for tourists to eat, drink, shop, and take photos. You can find a few different souvenir and novelties shop that sells Harry Potter and magic items along Victoria Street, including Museum Context store, The Enchanted Galaxy, and 

Formerly there was even an actual magic shop called AHA HA HA Jokes & Novelties at 99 West Bow. Sadly it closed a few years ago and is now a cashmere shop.

There used to a Diagon Alley sign alongside a nice mural on the Lackdhu (recent name change from Maple Arts Framing) building on Candlemaker Row that read: “No setting could be more perfect for a magical school of witchcraft & wizardly than the majestic Gothic grandeur of this old toon. So it is no surprise that J.K. Rowling selected Scotland as the home of Hogwarts, or that several sites lie nearby this Diagon Alley.”

**Update April 2017: The sign and mural are now gone from Lackdhu building, hopefully these will return! The owners told us that the are hoping to have a new Harry Potter themed mural up at some point but so far there is just the store logo. But as of early 2023, it is just a painted pair of red and purple wings.**

Fact or Fiction? 

Unsubstantiated. I could find no evidence that J. K. Rowling has made any statements that Victoria Street or Candlemaker Row (or any other street) inspired her description of Diagon Alley.

However, given that Rowling would have certainly have walked along these streets during the time she was writing Harry Potter and they were so close to some of the cafés she visited, it is indeed possible that Victoria Street and other parts of the Grassmarket area did provide some inspiration.

Addresses: All over the city

Harry Potter Connection

Edinburgh is often referred to as the birthplace of Harry Potter. Rowling has lived in several places in Edinburgh since 1993 and still resides here although she also now owns properties elsewhere in the UK and abroad.

According to a book by Joanne Soroka, Rowling first stayed with her sister in a flat on Marchmont Road, before moving to Gardner’s Crescent, then South Lorne Place, and Hazelbank Terrace. She then lived in a Merchiston area mansion at Abbotsford Park with her family until 2009.

Rowling and her family now live behind high hedges in the Edinburgh area of Branton. She also owns the Killiechassie Estate in Perthshire. 

Tips for Visiting

There is not much to visit other than the outsides of buildings and some peeks of houses through gates, but a stroll through these areas may give Harry Potter fans a sense of the neighborhood in which Rowling has lived and how her circumstances have changed from a woman living on welfare to a best-selling author worth millions. It may also introduce visitors to some new Edinburgh neighborhoods that are well off the well-beaten tourist path.

Just note that J. K. Rowling and her family enjoy their privacy (and they have a lot of security) as do the people who live in her former residences, and you are wise to respect this. I decided not to publish any of the actual addresses (or photos) of her former or current residences out of both respect for those who live in them and for the fact that none are open to the public so there isn’t much to see at any of the locations.

Fact or Fiction? 

Fact. Rowling has indeed lived in Edinburgh since 1993, and there is little doubt that she wrote a substantial amount of the books while in the city although she did begin writing the series prior to her arrival in the city. She has acknowledged this on many occasions.

9. Potterrow Street

Address: Potterrow Street, Edinburgh EH8 9BL

Harry Potter Connection

There is a street in central Edinburgh called Potterrow Street. Some say it may have given J. K. Rowling inspiration for her famous hero’s last name.

Tips for Visiting

Along Potterrow Street, you’ll find University of Edinburgh buildings, students housing, and a few student geared eateries. Potterrow Port is a pedestrian underpass tunnel under Potterrow Street. There is not much to see here for Potter fans other than the signs.

Fact or Fiction?

Fiction. This particular association seems to have no evidence to stand on from what I can find other than the assumption that Rowling likely walked or drove along this street during the time she was in Edinburgh. In fact, there is substantial evidence against the street name having influenced Rowling in naming Harry Potter.

In a 1999 Barnes & Noble online chat (the first she ever did in America), Rowling was specifically asked where she came up with the name Harry Potter. Here is what she said: “Because Harry is one of my favorite boy’s names. But he had several different surnames before I chose Potter. Potter was the name of a brother and sister who I played with when I was very young. We were part of the same gang and I always liked that surname.”

Later in a 2000 Scholastic interview she reiterates this and goes on to say that if her first child had been a boy, she would have named him Harry and chosen a different name for her boy hero.

10. JK Rowling’s Handprints

Address: 253 High St, Edinburgh EH1 1YJ

Harry Potter Connection

J.K. Rowling’s handprints were reproduced on flagstone in front of the Edinburgh City Chambers after J.K. Rowling was awarded the Edinburgh Award in 2008 for her contributions to the capital city. This was soon after she had finished the final book in the Harry Potter series.

Tips for Visiting

You can find the golden handprints on a flagstone just off the Royal Mile, in front of the Edinburgh City Chambers. You can also find the handprints of others who have won the award (established in 2007), including writer Ian Rankin and athlete Sir Chris Hoy.

Fact or Fiction?

Fact. J. K. Rowling did indeed receive the Edinburgh Award. She said the following when accepting the Edinburgh Award in September 2008 (as reported by The Telegraph on September 20th): “It is an absolute honour to receive this award, as Edinburgh is very much home for me and is the place where Harry evolved over seven books and many, many hours of writing in its cafés.”

11. Edinburgh Castle

Address: Castlehill, Edinburgh EH1 2NG

Harry Potter Connection

Edinburgh Castle, the most recognizable landmark in the city, is a fortress castle with existing buildings dating back to the 12th century. Some say it was an inspiration for Hogwarts in the Harry Potter books. 

Tips for Visiting

Edinburgh Castle is the most recognizable landmark in the city and one of the main tourist attractions in Edinburgh. Whether or not it has any connection with Harry Potter, I would definitely recommend a visit for any visitor. Located at one end of the Royal Mile, you’ll see it from multiple viewpoints from around the city and it is easy to visit.

It is very popular so I’d recommend trying to visit when it first opens or nearer to closing time to avoid large crowds. You may also want to buy your ticket in advance or join a guided tour to skip ticket lines. A popular (but busy) time to be at the castle is for the firing of the gun, which takes place nearly every day of the year to mark 1pm.

You can read more about the castle in an earlier post where we highlight the 21 top attractions in Edinburgh. 

Fact or Fiction? 

Unsubstantiated. As noted for George Heriot’s School, J.K. Rowling has not named any locations as being an inspiration for Hogwarts, but she has noted that Hogwarts is located in Scotland in the books.

When Rowling was specifically asked in a 2002 TV interview if Edinburgh Castle looks like Hogwarts, she said that she hadn’t been to the castle when she first imagined Hogwarts and started writing the books. But then goes on to say: “Bizarrely, I’ve come to live in the shadow of what could be a lot like Hogwarts, except Hogwarts has a lake.”

Of course Rowling would have seen the castle regularly as someone living in Edinburgh as it is visible from many locations. In fact, you can see it from the windows of The Elephant House. So it would not be surprising if a little of Edinburgh Castle crept into her image of Hogwarts.

J. K. Rowling when asked to visualize Hogwarts in the 2000 Scholastic interview, said that she imagines it as “A huge, rambling, quite scary-looking castle, with a jumble of towers and battlements. Like the Weasley’s house, it isn’t a building that Muggles could build, because it is supported by magic.”

This does suggest that Hogwarts may be partially based on a castle. However, given that the UK and Europe have thousands of castles, there is no data to suggest it was based on Edinburgh Castle (or even a real castle at all) other than the fact that it was near to the place she wrote the books.

12. Edinburgh International Book Festival (August Only)

Address: Charlotte Square, Edinburgh EH2 4HQ

Harry Potter Connection

The Edinburgh International Book Festival is the world’s largest celebration of books and is an annual 2-week event that has included J.K. Rowling. It was one of the first places Rowling gave a reading from her first Harry Potter novel in 1997. She also attended in 2004 and 2014. 

Tips for Visiting

If you are in Edinburgh in August and enjoy books, you should definitely plan a stop at the Edinburgh International Book Festival. Unlike most of the other August Edinburgh festivals (check out our planning guide), this one takes place almost entirely in one location at Charlotte Square gardens in a series of large tents.

Anyone can attend the festival for free and peruse the book stores, read a book in the square, go to book signings, and take part in the free programming. However, you do need to book a ticket if you want to attend most of the author talks and readings. Authors range from the famous (e.g., J.K. Rowling, Philippa Gregory, Ian Rankin) to the relatively unknown.

If the weather is good, you could spend a few pleasant hours reading a book in the square and enjoying a cup of coffee (there is an on-site café).

Fact or Fiction? 

Fact. J.K. Rowling has read and talked at the Edinburgh International Book Festival and to my knowledge she has attended at least three times. In fact, way back in 1997 when no one reading this post had probably ever heard of Harry Potter, an unknown new author listed as Joanne Rowling read to a group of about 20 children from her first book.

Fast forward to 2004, and a special tent had to be erected to contain a crowd of 600 Harry Potter fans (chosen via lottery given the enormous demand) and special security employed as J.K. Rowling returned to the book festival. 

In 2014, J. K. Rowling made a surprise appearance at the Book Festival to introduce Malala Yousafzai. It is possible she may do so again in the future. 

13. The Dog House

Address: 18-24 Clerk Street, Edinburgh EH8 9HX

Harry Potter Connection

Of the many Harry Potter sites in Edinburgh, The Dog House is a fairly new one to be associated with Harry Potter. This association is due to the fact that it has started selling butterbeer. In the Harry Potter books, butterbeer was sold at a number of wizardly pubs, notably The Three Broomsticks and The Hog’s Head.

Tips for Visiting

The pub is mostly known for being dog friendly (and its mascot and resident English bull dog Hero) and for its chicken wings. It is also an oddly decorated pub with all sorts of things hanging on the walls and from the ceiling, including a teddy bear graveyard. Its a unique place.

They introduced butterbeer around 2016 in hopes of drawing in some Potter fans. You can buy butterbeer by the pint or half-pint, which is made by using a sweetened syrup (that the pub buys) mixing it with Foster’s beer. They have also more recently introduced a Butterbeer Cocktail.

I honestly expected it to taste horrible but it tasted like buttered popcorn and beer, and we found it very easy to drink. A pint of butter beer was £4 on our first visit in 2017 but I think prices have gone up with inflation. Just note that these are made using beer so are of course alcoholic and only served to adults.

A pint of butter beer at The Dog House is a great way to end a day of exploring in Edinburgh.

Note that The Dog House was the first to serve a version of butterbeer in Edinburgh but they are not the only ones now. You can also try butterbeer at The Magic Potions Tavern (part of the Department of Magic) and they offer both non-alcoholic and alcoholic versions so great for kids and adults. Another option is the Potions Cauldron which has a non-alcoholic butterscotch beer.

Fact or Fiction? 

Fiction. Well, butterbeer is a fictional drink and the drink served here was not an inspiration for Rowling and as far as we know Rowling was not involved in its development. However, the pub does indeed serve butter beer and the drink is based on the one described in the Harry Potter books. It is a relatively recent addition to the pub’s drink list (we think it was first sold in 2015).  

J.K. Rowling did not base butterbeer on a real drink (although there were historical drinks called buttered beer or ale), she simply made it up for the books. When Rowling was asked by Bon Appétit magazine in 2002 what it tastes like, she said: “I made it up. I imagine it to taste a bit like less sickly butterscotch.”

Many recipes and versions of butterbeer exist online now and many are alcoholic (like the one at The Dog House). In 2010, Universal worked with Rowling to produce a nonalcoholic butterbeer that is now sold at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter (along with several other Harry Potter inspired drinks and foods) which is said to be cold and frothy and taste a bit like shortbread and butterscotch. 

14. Department of Magic

Address: 9 Blair Street, Edinburgh EH1 1QR

Harry Potter Connection

The Department of Magic offers a small tavern, Magic Potions Cocktail Masterclass, and two magic-themed escape room puzzles. Everything is Harry Potter, witches, magic, and/or wizard themed.

Tips for Visiting

You need to make reservations in advance (online or by phone) if you want to do one of the escape rooms (2 to 5 people each) or the Magic Potions Masterclass. If you have booked one of the escape rooms, be sure to arrive a little before the starting time so you can get the directions and don your wizard robes. You can also stay to have a drink before or after or to play the free table games.

We’ve done the Magic Potions Masterclass and had a lot of fun. Each person gets to pick 2 different cocktails (or potions) you want to make. Then you get all the ingredients and the magical spell formula (e.g., directions) to make the cocktail. Some fizz, change colors, smoke, etc. Just note the cocktails are all on the sweeter side.

If you don’t have a reservation, you can still visit and have a drink at the tavern if there is seating available. They have a large list of drinks, many are magic themed, which include beers, cocktails (including a few you can make yourself), butterbrew (alcoholic), sodas, and butterbeer (non-alcoholic). They also have a small selection of cakes and snacks.

A visit to the escape rooms or the cocktail class is a great activity for small groups!

Fact or Fiction? 

None of these activities are affiliated or endorsed by JK Rowling, her publishing company, or Warner Bros. So none are officially licensed. The Department of Magic opened in April 2018.

 

15. Harry Potter Themed Events

Address: Multiple locations in Edinburgh.

There have been, and will be, a number of Harry Potter events taking place in Edinburgh. Most are one-time events and some have been for charity, but a few are more regular. I’d check online to see what might be taking place during your visit.

Here are some events that are taking place or have taken place in Edinburgh to give you an idea of what might be happening:

• Usher Hall often has had several shows with music from the Harry Potter films, including by the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, the Czech National Symphony Orchestra, and the London Philharmonic & Symphonic Film Orchestra. These tend to take place about once a year. You can check the latest schedule and buy tickets here.
• Events by the University of Edinburgh Harry Potter Society. Yes, indeed, the local university has a Potter Society. They hold regular events although most are for members only. They even have a quidditch team, the Holyrood Hippogriffs! You can learn more on their website here.
• The Cauldron offers wizard-themed drinks mixing classes similar to the potions masterclass we took at The Department of Magic. The Cauldron opened in June 2019 in Edinburgh but the company runs other experiences and bars in London and New York City. They also have a Wizard Afternoon Tea. You can see more here.
• Spontaneous Potter is an improvised Harry Potter comedy show that is based on audience suggestions and fanfiction. It is improvised on the spot with a team of several actors and accompanied by live music. Not appropriate for children. Show was held weekly in Ediburgh at Monkey Barrel Comedy; however, the troupe appear to be currently touring the UK with the show. You can check their schedule here.
• In December 2018 there was a Harry Potter themed afternoon tea at the Corn Exchange (now the O2 Academy).
• In October 2018 there was Harry’s Witches & Wizards Ball at the Liquid Room

Harry Potter Connection

All the events above have been Harry Potter or wizard themed.

Tips for Visiting

There seems to regularly be a Harry Potter or wizard associated event happening in Edinburgh these days. The popularity of Harry Potter seems to only be increasing in terms of commercialism and tourism products, and there is a good chance there might be something going on during your visit. 

Most of these events need to be booked in advance, and many sell out in advance. So I’d start looking before your visit or as soon as you arrive into the city. I’d try online searches, asking at the Visitor Center, and consulting locals. Or you can leave a Comment and we can let you know if we know of anything happening!

Fact or Fiction? 

None of these events, to our knowledge, are affiliated or endorsed by JK Rowling, her publishing company, or Warner Bros. So none are officially licensed. Most of these events have started taking places relatively recently in Edinburgh.

Exploring the Harry Potter Sites in Edinburgh: Take a Harry Potter Tour? 

For many Harry Potter fans, they want to learn as much information as possible on Harry Potter connections and see all the Harry Potter sites in Edinburgh with a group of fellow Potterheads. These fun guided tours are designed for fans and will take you to all the main Potter sites, including The Elephant House, Victoria Street, the Grassmarket, and Greyfriar’s Kirkyard.

You might also consider choosing a more general Edinburgh literary tour or booking a guided day tour or multi-day trip from Edinburgh to see some of the Harry Potter filming sites. You can check out our guide to day trips from Edinburgh which includes a list of Harry Potter film locations.

Harry Potter Walking Tours in Edinburgh

Here are some of the main options for Harry Potter tours in Edinburgh:

Harry Potter Magical Walking Tour

This 2 hour walking tour of Harry Potter sights in the city runs most days, and visits the locations that inspired JK Rowling when she was writing the novels. This is one of the most popular ones and one we have enjoyed as it is great for Potter fans of all ages.

If the above times/dates don’t work, here is a very similar tour option.

If you are looking for a private Harry Potter tour, there are a couple of options such as this one or this one.

Harry Pottr J.K. Rowling Focused In-Depth Tour

If you are wanting something more serious and in-depth than I’d recommend this 4 hour walking tour. This one still covers the regular Harry Potter fan sites but goes to more off-beat places and focuses more on J.K. Rowling, her life, and where she wrote Harry Potter.

Just be sure that you have 4-5 hours to spare for this tour and that everyone in your group can comfortably handle several hours of walking. Wear comfortable shoes!

Harry Potter Tour with Edinburgh Castle

This walking tour takes in the Harry Potter sights and then includes your entrance tickets so you can visit Edinburgh Castle at the end of the tour.

The Potter Trail

Another popular option is The Potter Trail walking tour which is a 1 hour 15 minute to 1.5  hour walking tour. It is free but tips for the guide are strongly recommended (and expected).

You don’t need to book The Potter Trail tours in advance (unless you are in a larger group), just be at the meeting spot (normally at Greyfriar’s Bobby statue but check the website) before the tour time to join.

If you are traveling in a group of 10 people or more, you will need to book a private tour in advance.

Note that the main disadvantage to this tour is that the group sizes can be really large. We enjoyed the tour but it was hard to hear the guide at times and you don’t really have much chance to ask questions.

There is also a paid private version of this tour you can book if you want a more slow-paced and personalized tour. I would definitely recommend the private version if you want to take this tour with younger kids or you want to have private interactions with the guide.

Harry Potter Tour with Whisky Tasting

This 3.5 hour walking tour takes in the typical Harry Potter sights and then includes a whisky tasking for the group in an underground vault location. The second part of the tour some history of the city, whisky, and how whisky varies across the Scottish regions. Then finally you are get to taste 3 drams of Scottish whisky at the “The Lost Close”.

This is a good tour to consider if you don’t have a lot of time but want to do both a Harry Potter walking tour and a whisky tasting while in Edinburgh.

Note that you must be at least 18 years or older to participate in the whisky tasking and you should bring a photo ID to prove you are at 18+.

General Edinburgh Literary Tours

As a UNESCO City of Literature, Edinburgh has a rich literary history and if you are interested in Scottish writers, there are plenty of famous authors and poets to learn about here. These include Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scott, Robert Louis Stevenson, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and Ian Rankin.

Other literary oriented tours in Edinburgh not focused on Harry Potter but which are likely to include some information about J.K. Rowling include the The Edinburgh Book Lovers’ Tour and  The Edinburgh Literary Pub Tour (uses real actors!).

Should I take a Harry Potter tour?

I think that if you are a big fan of Harry Potter, the tours are well worth taking and you’ll likely be able to meet some like-minded travelers. However, I will say that the line between fact and fiction is blurred during some of these tours, but if that doesn’t bother you, I’d recommend looking into taking them.

The other option of course is to explore the sites on your own. But it is nice to have a tour guide and other people who love Harry Potter while learning about the sites. And tours are fairly inexpensive.

Plan your Own Self-Guided Harry Potter Walking Tour with our Map

If you’d prefer to do it on your own, the sites are all fairly easy to find and you can use this guide and map below to help plan your own walking tour of all the Harry Potter sites in Edinburgh. Just click on the map link or double click on the image below to open in Google Maps:

Harry Potter Day Tours from Edinburgh to Filming Locations

If your travels are taking you further afield in Scotland or the UK, you might want to book a Harry Potter themed day trip or guided multi-day tour that takes in many of the filming locations from the Harry Potter films such as Alnwick Castle and Glenfinnan Viaduct.

Below are a few tours that depart from Edinburgh, but you can also see a longer list of tours for more options here and here:

• Highlands & Jacobite Steam Train Day Tour – This full day trip from Edinburgh takes visitors to see several filming locations and includes a ride on the Jacobite train that was featured as the Hogwarts Express in the Harry Potter films. Here is a another similar tour.
• Alnwick Castle & Scottish Borders Day Tour – This tour visits Alnwick Castle, a filming location for Hogwarts in Harry Potter as well as Downton Abbey and Transformers: The Last Knight.  The tour also stops in a Scottish Borders market town and along the scenic Northumberland coast. We’ve done this Rabbie’s tour and can recommend.
• 3 Day Isle of Skye & Jacobite Steam Train Tour – This 3 day tour from Edinburgh includes a visit to the Isle of Skye, several iconic Scottish Highlands locations, and includes a ride on the Jacobite steam train.

If you are also headed to London, you can check out our Harry Potter London guide.

Other Noteworthy Places of Interest for Harry Potter Fans

There are so many noteworthy places to visit in Edinburgh, and for first time visitors to Edinburgh, I’d recommend starting with this list of the 21 highlights of Edinburgh. Walking up and down the Royal Mile and around the Old Town reminds many visitors of the world of Harry Potter with its cobbled streets, narrow alleys, and historical stone buildings.

For second time visitors or those looking for some lesser known attractions, I’d also check out this guide to loads of lesser known attractions in Edinburgh. 

Edinburgh was the first UNESCO City of Literature and there are a lot of great literary places to learn more about the writers and poets of Scotland, including The Writers’ Museum (free) and the Scottish Storytelling Centre (free). Outside of The Writers’ Museum, the Makars’ Court includes quotes from a number of important British writers and poets on the flagstones.

Learn more about the city and its people at the Museum of Edinburgh (free) and The People’s Story Museum (free), and explore the full history of Scotland and its culture via the National Museum of Scotland (free). The Lewis chessmen, some of which are on display at the National Museum of Scotland, were the inspiration for the chessman of Wizard’s Chess in the Harry Potter films.

For some childhood fun, consider the Museum of Childhood (free) or the Camera Obscura and House of Illusions (entry fee), both contain some illusions that Harry Potter may have appreciated. The great thing about many of Edinburgh’s museums is that they are free to enter (although donations are greatly appreciated!). 

For Harry Potter fans, I would also recommend searching to see if there are any Harry Potter or J.K. Rowling events happening during your visit. For instance, in 2016 a rare first edition of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone that was illustrated by J.K. Rowling went on public display at The Writers’ Museum in Edinburgh. Other Harry Potter and/or J.K. Rowling events and exhibitions are not uncommon in the city. 

Best Places to Stay in Edinburgh for Harry Potter Fans

If you are planning to spend the night in Edinburgh, you have a lot of options for places to stay in the city from hotels and apartments to B&B’s and hostels. If you are looking for a central location for Harry Potter sites we’d suggest looking for places near Victoria Street and the Grassmarket area. Also anything near the Royal Mile or Waverley train station is central.

There are hundreds of options, but we’ll share some places we recommend for Harry Potter fans. These accommodation options were selected because they are within a short walking distance of the main Harry Potter sites in Edinburgh, have an interesting Harry Potteresque decor or setting, and/or have a direct Harry Potter or JK Rowling connection.

We’ve chosen some for all travel styles and budgets, whether you are a room service queen or a light-walleted backpacker. All are centrally located within Edinburgh.

**Note that in the peak seasons (during summer Edinburgh festivals as well as Hogmanay) accommodation prices double (or more) across most of the city. Budget finds can be difficult and we recommend booking well in advance to get the kind of lodging you want as the city books almost to capacity during these periods.**

Budget Lodging for Harry Potter Fans

• Castle Rock Hostel – Well-rated hostel with a castle theme, offering dormitory and private rooms. Each dorm room here is themed and one is Harry Potter themed. Located within the Grassmarket area near Victoria Street and about a 3 minute walk to The Elephant House. Adults only.
• Royal Mile Backpackers – Located along the Royal Mile, this centrally located hostel offers dormitory rooms in a central spot. About a 7 minute walk to Victoria Street. 
• Budget Backpackers – Colorfully decorated hostel with dormitory style rooms located in the Grassmarket area. Great location for Harry Potter fans, only a few minute walk to both Victoria Street and The Elephant House. 
• Stay Central Hotel – A very nice budget hotel that is perfect for those traveling as a group. Hotel offers rooms that can sleep from 2 to 9 persons, so can be a great deal if you have several people to split the cost of the stay. Located about a 6 minute walk from Victoria Street.
• Motel One – A popular modern budget design hotel centrally located in Edinburgh’s Old Town. Located only a few minute walk from the Royal Mile and about a 6 minute walk from Victoria Street. 
• Travelodge Edinburgh Central – A 3-star chain hotel located just a few minute walk from the Royal Mile and a 10 minute walk from Victoria Street. 

Mid-Range Accommodation for Harry Potter Fans

• The Grassmarket Hotel – This 3-star hotel is located within the Grassmarket area and just a couple of minutes walk to Victoria Street and The Elephant House. Hotel has a quirky and colorful modern decor.
• Canongate Luxury Apartment – Dubbed the “Harry Potter apartment”, this 2-bedroom apartment is decorated with a witchery and Harry Potter theme, and has a number of Harry Potter related details and vintage items. Located just off the Royal Mile.
• Holiday Inn Express – This 3-star hotel offers well-priced rooms in the Old Town. Located near the Royal Mile, it is a 5 minute walk from Spoon and about a 10 minute walk from Victoria Street.
• Dunedin Apartments – This well-rated Old Town apartments have a modern decor and all the amenities you need for a self-catering stay. About a 7 minute walk from Waverley train station and a 10 minute walk from The Elephant House.

Luxury Hotels for Harry Potter Fans

• The Balmoral – This hotel opened in 1902 as a traditional railway hotel and has long been a landmark hotel in Edinburgh. This hotel is a mix of traditional and modern decor and has some beautiful suites, including the JK Rowling Grand Suite where Rowling finished writing the final Harry Potter book. Located next to the Waverley train station.
• The Witchery – This popular boutique luxury hotel & restaurant named after the witches who were burned at Castlehill in the 16th and 17th centuries. The hotel has 9 different themed suites which are lavishly decorated with Gothic touches, large 4-poster oak beds, antiques, and flamboyant decorations. If there is one place that will transport you to another place and time, this is it! Located in a 17th century building, this hotel sits just below Edinburgh Castle along the Royal Mile. A 5 minute walk to Edinburgh Castle or a 2 minute walk to Victoria Street.
• The Scotsman – This 4-star hotel with a majestic historical exterior and a modern interior. This 1905 building used to be the offices for The Scotsman newspaper. The Scotsman is a 2 minute walk from the Waverley train station and 1 minute walk from the Royal Mile.
• Radisson Collection Hotel – This 5-star luxury hotel is perfectly located for Harry Potter fans just around the corner from Victoria Street in the Old Town and a 2 minute walk from The Elephant House. Rooms and suites have a modern decor.
• The Principal Edinburgh – This 5-star hotel consists of seven inter-connecting townhouses and sits in the heart of Edinburgh’s New Town. A beautifully decorated hotel with a mix of modern decor and vintage travel touches. Across from Charlotte Square where the Edinburgh Book Festival takes place in August, and is about a 17 minute walk from The Elephant House. 

There you have it, our guide to the top Harry Potter sites in Edinburgh! We hope that you have found this useful and helpful in planning your trip to Edinburgh.

We also suggest you check out some more of our Edinburgh content to help you plan your trip to the city, including our guide to what to do in Edinburgh, and our guide to visiting the Edinburgh festivals in August.

Which of these would you want to visit? Have you been to any of these Harry Potter sites? Feel free to let us know if you have any updates on information about the sites or know of any additional J.K. Rowling or Harry Potter sites in Edinburgh you think should be added to this list.

As always, we love your comments and feel free to ask us any questions about Harry Potter sites in Edinburgh or any other question you may have about visiting the city or Scotland in general!