DAY ONE
WHERE IT ALL BEGAN
Great Scottish Tours (GST) can arrange for your tour to begin at any departure point, such as your hotel, in the cities of Glasgow, Edinburgh or Stirling.
DAY TWO
EXPLORE
Edinburgh-Glasgow-Overnight Stay Fort William
DAY THREE
HOGWARTS
Fort William-Scottish Highlands-Drop off Points
People of all ages love Harry Potter. What began as a humble collection of kids’ books has become the best-selling book series of all
time and has been adapted into some of the highest-grossing films of all time. All of this success has led to quite a few Harry Potter
themed attractions; there is Harry Potter World in London and The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Florida, but we’d like to make
a case for why Scotland is, by far, the best place for Harry Potter fans to visit.
Here are the Top Scottish Filming locations Harry Potter fans must visit!
The Old Town Hideout's
The Elephant House -Spoon Cafe
Edinburgh City Chambers
These cafés claim that JK Rowling spent endless afternoons in
the 1990s gazing out of their windows and dreaming up her magical characters.
The Elephant House, with its beautiful views of Edinburgh Castle, has become known as the 'Birthplace of Harry Potter' whilst Spoon, in those days known as the Nicholson Café, is a lovely spacious eatery and a great place to collect your creative thoughts.
You can also see JK Rowling's handprints set in stone at the Edinburgh City Chambers on the Royal Mile.
Greyfriars Kirkyard
Tom Riddell
J. K. Rowling has been very open about how much inspiration she has taken from her adopted city (Edinburgh), and some of her inspiration has come from Greyfriars Kirkyard a hauntingly beautiful old graveyard close to The Elephant House Café (more on that later). Authors often cite gravestones as a great resource for choosing characters’ names and Rowling claims to have found the name for her greatest villain in Greyfriars Kirkyard.
Take a visit to the graveyard and look for Tom Riddle’s grave, but be prepared for a slightly different spelling: Thomas Riddell. There is also a gravestone with ‘William McGonagall’ on it. Perhaps this was the inspiration for Hogwarts’ great transfiguration professor?
Devoted Potter fans flock into the Kirkyard – whatever the weather – to pay homage to a grave that JK Rowling has said subconsciously inspired her writing.
Balmoral Hotel
The birth of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
After a day wandering the streets of the Old Town, treat yourself to a stay in The Balmoral Hotel, one of Princes Street's finest landmarks with its tall clock defining the city skyline. JK Rowling found some peace and quiet in this luxurious hotel,
as she penned the final chapter of the last book,
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
You can also pop into the hotel for a cocktail or perhaps some afternoon tea if you don't fancy splashing out on a night's stay.