Edinburgh already looks magical on its own, but if we add to that the idea of ​​J.K Rowling being inspired by the great creation of HP, it becomes even more magical.

How about taking a free tour of Edinburgh, a good idea is the free tours of Edinburgh

The beginning of Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling

J.K. Rowling arrived in Edinburgh from Porto (where she was living) after her separation. She came with the idea of ​​living close to her sister, and being able to shape a story she had in mind, and had already begun, Harry Potter.

It is here in this city where they say he got inspiration for many of the things that appear in his books. Many are and many are not, but it is true that when you immerse yourself in this city, it seems like you are walking inside a movie. So when you walk around the city you almost start the Harry Potter route through Edinburgh without realizing it. Shall we begin?

Harry Potter route in Edinburgh

Where to start? How about the beginning? Let’s start with the cafeteria where the writer began to create Harry Potter and his world, and spent hours writing.

Nicolson’s Cafe (Spoon)

This cafe was owned by her sister’s husband, so it was a refuge for the writer in need of inspiration. Today Nicolson’s cafe is called Spoon, and is located at the intersection of Nicolson St and Drummond St. You can go in and visit it, and have a drink or a bite to eat there, but you won’t find anything related to Harry Potter there.

The Elephant House

Continuing our journey along the Harry Potter trail in Edinburgh, we will come to the famous Elephant House. There is a sign there that says “Birthplace of Harry Potter”. It is here that the writer spent many hours sitting at one of the tables contemplating the city, while writing the story of the boy who lived.

We can also access this cafeteria, and in it, yes, we will find details that remind us that the writer spent her hours here, but don’t forget to visit its bathrooms, they are full of graffiti left by HP fans.

Greyfriars Kirkyard

A few steps away we arrived at Greyfriars Cemetery. In addition to finding an environment that one imagines the writer  could have been inspired by for any of the scenes, we went directly to see two of the graves.

To our amazement we came across the grave of Tom Riddle (Lord Voldemort). Inspiration or coincidence?

If we continue along the route we find the grave of McGonagall, a Scottish poet with the same surname as the Hogwarts professor. We ask ourselves the same question again: coincidence?

George Heriot’s School

Speaking of Hogwarts, we come to George Heriot’s School. Built in 1628 as an orphanage and school, it is today an important school in the city.

J.K. Rowling has never confirmed that she was inspired by this school when creating Hogwarts, but she has always said that Hogwarts is in Scotland.

Coincidentally or not, the school is divided into four houses, has four towers, and has 17th century architecture.

It is not a bad idea to start with a free tour of Edinburgh and then do the Harry Potter tour

Or join the Harry Potter Free Walking Tour of Edinburgh, with a guide you will have a great time!

Victoria Street

Continuing along the route, our steps take us to the wonderful Victoria Street. Many say that this street inspired the creation of Diagon Alley.

Walking down this street is magical in itself, but you will also find some shops dedicated to Harry Potter. I advise you to go in even if you don’t want to buy anything, they are very charming.

Mercat Cross

Many say that the tower of Mercat Cross is very similar to the entrance to the chamber of secrets in Mirtle the Weeping Lady’s bathroom, and see there a possible inspiration. Draw your own conclusions…

Stands at Edinburgh Castle

During the Edinburgh festival, which takes place in August, stands are placed at the entrance to the castle. It could have been inspiration or at least it looks a lot like Quidditch stadiums.

Walking through this city has a very special charm. We will discover that very close to the aforementioned Spoon café we will find Mc Gonagall’s apartment, or we can pass under a passage called Potterow, curious, isn’t it?

Edinburgh City Chambers

Our steps now lead us to the Royal Mile. Here we will visit the Edinburgh City Chambers to see the handprints of the writer, placed there among other famous people of the city.

Where will we end up?….. where the story ended…

Hotel Balmoral

The year was 2007, and J.K. Rowling could no longer write in coffee shops due to her fame.

She then stayed in room 652 of the Balmoral Hotel to  write the end of the last book in the series, which he did on January 11 of that year, thus ending the adventures of the legendary Harry Potter.

There are several tours in Edinburgh about Harry Potter, here are some of them:

Have you thought about where to stay in Edinburgh?

EXTRAS: MAP AND VIDEO

Have you already planned your trip to Edinburgh?

NOTE: The information in this article is based on our own experience, being totally objective. This article contains affiliate links.

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La entrada The Harry Potter route in Edinburgh, Scotland. se publicó primero en Europa acompañada.

Located on the east coast of Scotland, on the banks of the River Forth, is the capital of Scotland since 1437 and seat of Scottish government. Its districts The Old Town and The New Town were designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1995.

Edinburgh is the second most visited city in the United Kingdom after London, and receives 13 million tourists a year.

It is famous for its festival that takes place in summer, in the month of August, when we visited it.

What to see in Edinburgh during its festival

We were telling you that it is famous for its festival that takes place in the month of August and that is the moment when our visit coincided. And I say coincided because at the time of putting together the itinerary for the United Kingdom we did not know about it.

It is logical that it has in its favor the movement that you will see in its streets, the city is decorated to receive many guests who travel to the city in search of fun. You will find in the same infinity of artistic shows, and throughout the day and until late at night there will be activities, entertainment is guaranteed. In short, the festival is something worth seeing and enjoying in Edinburgh.

Apart from choosing what to see in Edinburgh, where to stay?

As can be imagined, the biggest drawback will come on the pocket side, staying in the city on those dates is quite expensive, and it is very possible that you will not be able to find accommodation if you do not look for it well in advance.

We chose an apartment on this occasion, driven as I said by the high prices, but as we booked well in advance the location was perfect! Look for your hotel in Edinburgh in advance to get good prices and location, if your option is to visit during the festival.

Taking into account all of the above, I will now list the main activities to get to know and enjoy this wonderful city. As always, we recommend you to do a free walking tour when you arrive to the city, you will have an overview of it, you will receive recommendations, and then yes, you will start with your own tour.

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What to see in Edinburgh in two days?

1- Edinburgh Castle

It is the most emblematic building of the city and the visit that can not be missed. You will need a lot of time to visit it completely.

Located on Castle Hill, inside you will find:

– The Stone of Destiny ( where the kings of Scotland were crowned)

-Prisons of war

– The National World War I Memorial

– The one o’clock cannon

– Santa Margarita Chapel

– The honors of Scotland, the crown jewels (consisting of the crown,the                                                                                                                      sword and scepter)

HOURS: 9.30 am to 5 or 6 pm depending on the season.

TICKET PRICE: £ 21  online £ 18

From the castle you get a very nice panoramic view of the city, it is one of the main things to see in Edinburgh.

2-Royal Mile

The Royal Mile is a street that connects Edinburgh Castle to the west, with the Palace of Holyroodhouse to the east.

It is perhaps the most famous place in the city and has the charm of crossing the entire historic center. During the tour you will discover besides the parliament, or St Giles Cathedral, many pubs, souvenir stores, or tailors who design kilts, the traditional Scottish skirts.

The Royal Mile is divided into four sections, being them, Castle hill, the closest to the castle, then Lownmarket, Highstreet, and the last section Canongate, down to the end down to the Holyrood Palace.

The name Royal Mile comes from the 16th century when it was used by monarchs to cross the city.

After the first impact with the Royal Mile and all that you will find in it, you will discover something even more wonderful… the closes, the alleys of Edinburgh.

These alleys run north and south from the Castle to Hollyrood Palace, and through them you will come to courtyards, gardens, or wonderfully…nowhere. A good example of this is Lady Stair’s close. Perhaps busier than the rest of the alleys, in this picturesque spot you will find the Writer’s Museum, a small free museum dedicated to three great Scottish writers, Sir Walter Scott, Robert Louis Stevenson and Robert Burns.

3- Holyroodhouse

At the end of the Royal Mile we said that we find the Holyroodhouse Palace. It was founded as a monastery in 1128, and has served as the main residence of the kings and queens of Scotland since the fifteenth century.

The palace can be visited, inside you can see the ceremonial rooms, bedrooms, furniture and tapestries. You can also see Holyrood Abbey, the abbey built in the twelfth century, is in ruins, but we have all seen the magnificent photos that are achieved there.

HOURS: November 1/March 31 from 9.30 a.m. to 4.30 p.m.

April 1st / October 31st from 9.30 am to 6 pm

4- St. Giles Cathedral

Located on the Roya Mile, between Edinburgh Castle and Hollyrood Palace, we find St. Giles Cathedral, which was erected on the site of a ninth century sanctuary.

It is beautiful on the outside, but inside you can’t miss it, although not as big as other cathedrals, its stained glass windows are wonderful.

TIP: visit it at sunset, because when the sun sets and its rays enter through the stained glass windows, everything is tinged with a very special color.

HOURS: in summer: Monday to Friday from 9 am to 7 pm, Saturdays from 9 am to 5 pm, Sundays from 1 pm to 5 pm.

in winter: monday to saturday from 9 am to 5 pm and sunday from 1 pm to 4.30 pm.

ADMISSION: free of charge.

The heart of Midlothian

Next to the cathedral, on the ground, you will see a heart formed by cobblestones and granite. It registers the position of the former prison and one of the places of public execution. Tradition says that you have to spit inside it, now for good luck, but in the old days they did it as a sign of disdain towards the old prison.

5- Victoria Street

One of the best recommendations we can give you in Edinburgh, as we have already done in places such as The Cotswolds is to walk a lot, in this case a lot but a lot because it is a bigger city, but in every corner you will find something to surprise you. And so it is that you will come across Victoria Street, located in the Old Town will shock you with its magic and colorful.

Two things will make Victoria Street unmistakable, the double level of the buildings and the colorful facades. At every step you will find small stores, including some dedicated to Harry Potter, not surprising since it is said that J.K. Rowling was inspired by Victoria Street for the creation of Diagon Alley in her books.

► Have you already seen our post with the. Harry Potter route in Edinburgh?

You will also find several food stores on this street, including Mellis, which sells a variety of cheeses, or Oink, where they roast a pig a day and close when they have sold everything.

It is an alley out of a fairy tale, not to be missed on your visit, it is one of the most picturesque places to see in Edinburgh.

What else to see in Edinburgh?

We continue the tour of the city, we go to other points of the city, they are numbered just to follow an order, but the same is not in importance, any could be number one. Shall we continue?

6- Greyfriars Cemetery

We arrived at a very special cemetery for the inhabitants of Edinburgh, where you will find them strolling or taking a break in the middle of work.

For our customs it may seem a little strange to walk and take a break in a cemetery, but the Scots see them differently, as parks, so it is normal to see them reading or eating a sandwich while resting.

I encourage you to walk through this cemetery, it is very nice to see .

Bobby the dog

Outside the cemetery there is a statue of Bobby the dog and inside his tombstone. Legend has it that Bobby the dog did not move from beside his master’s grave until the end of his days. The neighbors of the city, fond of him because of his faithfulness to his master, always brought him food and water. Bobby has become a hero to the citizens of Edinburgh, so much so that although we see tourists rubbing the muzzle of the statue of Bobby for luck, the inhabitants of the city do not like to do it at all, so avoid rubbing Bobby’s muzzle if you can.

7- Sir Walter Scott Monument

The Scott Monument is a Victorian Gothic style, erected in honor of the Scottish author and writer Sir Walter Scott, you can see it from many sides of the city, it stands out among the rest of the buildings emerging as a large dark tower.

If you dare, it has 287 steps to the top for beautiful views.

8- The New Town

The Old Town and the New Town of Edinburgh were declared World Heritage Site in 1995, having already toured much of the Old Town in the rest of the attractions, we now head to the New Town, a tour that is also very interesting to do. Do not imagine a new city despite its name, its buildings date from the late eighteenth century. In this area of the city the buildings change their style, becoming Neoclassical and Georgian style.

Highlights in this part of the city include the National Gallery, the Scott Monument (which we saw earlier), Calton Hill and the Bamoral Hotel.

Walking along Princes Street, the street that borders the gardens of the same name, is a pleasant stroll.

9- Calton Hill

What you can’t miss: climbing Calton Hill. Left almost in last place in this list, not because that is its location, but because we believe that perhaps you will like to walk around the places first and then locate them well from the top. The views are incredible.

In Calton Hill you will find: The National monument – Dugald Stewart monument – The Nelson monument

 10- Dean Village ( the pearl of the list)

If you keep walking down Princes Street and turn towards the River Leith, you will come across a very picturesque neighborhood.

If you want to get away from the hustle and bustle of the crowds for a moment (especially if you go like us during festival season), take a walk to this picturesque spot.

Dean Village is located on the banks of the River Leith and has small houses that look like a village despite being just minutes from the city. That if, when you decide to do it has time, it will fly by in this place.

What do you think? it’s worth it, isn’t it? This is one of the places that I encourage you to see in Edinburgh, you will not regret it.

What else to see in Scotland?

Taking a tour of the Highlands is an excellent option to get to know Scotland in more depth. Although you can do it on your own, taking a tour is more relaxing, especially considering that you drive on the left side of the road. Here are some options:

EXTRAS: MAP AND VIDEO

NOTE: the information in this article is based on our own experience, being totally objective. This article contains affiliate links.

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La entrada What to see in Edinburgh in two days. se publicó primero en Europa acompañada.