Harry Potter’s Edinburgh: From the Castle to Diagon Alley and Elephant House

(334 reviews)

Edinburgh audio tour: Harry Potter’s Edinburgh: From the Castle to Diagon Alley and Elephant House

This is a 1.1mi walking tour

It takes an average of 90 mins to complete.

Edinburgh

The United Kingdom

$11.99

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About the Tour

Edinburgh is a city where magic lives in the streets, woven into the cobblestones and ancient buildings that have stood for centuries. On this Harry Potter-themed walking tour, you'll discover the real-world locations that influenced J.K. Rowling as she transformed from a struggling single mother with three chapters in her suitcase to one of the world's most successful authors. Follow in her footsteps through atmospheric graveyards, historic streets, and the cafés where the wizarding world was born.

The tour starts at Edinburgh Castle, where the launch of the Half-Blood Prince took place and where summer military stands reminiscent of Quidditch bleachers are erected annually. You'll weave through the Royal Mile, learning about Scotland's real witch trials and how they connect to the magical world of Harry Potter. Walk down Victoria Street – the real-life Diagon Alley – with its colorful shopfronts housing magical merchandise, vintage bookshops, and the former brush shop that sold actual broomsticks when Rowling was writing her early novels.

You'll explore the atmospheric Greyfriars Kirkyard where tombstones bearing familiar names like Thomas Riddell, William McGonagall, and Elizabeth Moody stand as silent inspiration for some of the series' most memorable characters. Along the way, you'll see George Heriot's School with its four houses and castle-like architecture that bears an uncanny resemblance to Hogwarts. The tour ends at the Elephant House café, where though now closed after a fire, Rowling penned several of the later Potter books at a wooden table that thankfully survived the blaze.

On this 90-minute magical journey, you'll have a chance to:

Visit Victoria Street, the winding, colorful shopping street widely acknowledged as the inspiration for Diagon Alley
Discover the tombstone of real-life Thomas Riddell, whose name (with slightly altered spelling) became the most feared villain in the wizarding world
See the grand, turreted George Heriot's School with its four houses that mirror Hogwarts' own Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin
Learn the true story of where the first Potter book was actually completed (not where tourist signs might claim)
Hear about Edinburgh's brutal witch trials and how they connect to elements in the Potter universe
Stand where J.K. Rowling did as she looked out over the atmospheric Greyfriars Kirkyard while crafting her magical world
Walk in the footsteps of Half-Hinged Maggie Dickson, whose story of surviving execution parallels Nearly Headless Nick's tale

Whether you're a devoted Potterhead or simply curious about the real-world connections between Edinburgh and the wizarding world, this tour offers a unique glimpse into the city that helped shape one of literature's most beloved series.

Music:

Arcadia Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Tour Producer

Katrina Milne

5 tours

Hi, my name is Kat - I am originally from the North East of Scotland. I relocated to the city of Edinburgh 10 years ago to study at University. I have a degree in Tourism Management and focused my university thesis paper on Scottish film sites, and in particular, Harry Potter and Outlander.

In 2018 I started my own tour company - Travel Kat Tours. We specialise in small group and private tours around the U.K. leaving from Edinburgh. My Walking Tour in Edinburgh is one of the top rated experiences on Airbnb and we have taken over 3000 clients on our tours since our launch in 2018. I run Edinburgh history, folklore and Harry Potter Tours. I also have a Scottish Witchcraft Tour that is very popular.
I have 5-star rating reviews and thrive upon showcasing our beautiful country.

During lock down I undertook further tour guide training by completing a North East Scotland: History, Landscape & culture certificate from the University of Aberdeen. As a native Scots speaker (Doric) I like to promote my language and heritage to visitors and through writing. I thrive on conducting research, reading and writing and producing videos on Scotland.

When I am not showing guests around Edinburgh, I also maintain a travel blog and try to explore as much as I can. I have been lucky enough to have visited over 50 countries, but I still maintain that Scotland is my favourite!

Preview Location

Location 15

Maggie Dickson

Have you found a seat? There are some next to the Haggis Box food stall.

Good, I'm going to tell you the story of a lady called Maggie Dickson. Who happens to have a pub named after her on this street.

Maggie was a real person and in the 1700s she was right here on th... Have you found a seat? There are some next to the Haggis Box food stall.

Good, I'm going to tell you the story of a lady called Maggie Dickson. Who happens to have a pub named after her on this street.

Maggie was a real person and in the 1700s she was right here on the Grassmarket selling fish. Her husband was the fisherman and she would sell the produce. However, Maggie's husband disappeared and never returned, leaving Maggie homeless and unemployed.

Maggie in her desperate situation had to get very well acquainted with the Inn Keepers son inside the pub and they ended up conceiving a baby. Maggie concealed the pregnancy, however, and unfortunately, her small baby died. So she wanted to take her baby outside of Edinburgh into the countryside for burial.

On the way out of the city at the city border wall, Maggie got stopped by the police. This was a problem for Maggie because she had committed two crimes. The first crime - adultery, she was still married. The second crime "Concealment of Pregnancy Act". There was a law at that time that if you were pregnant you had to declare to the local council, of course, something Maggie did not do.

Therefore, Maggie was brought back to the Grassmarket to be executed. You can still see the remaining stone for where the gallows used to be. Maggie was sentenced to be hanged there and she was. However, if you were to be hanged in Scotland at that time, you literally had to "hang" for a full 30 minutes to ensure that you were indeed dead... and she was.

So Maggie was hanged for her crimes and her body was transferred into a coffin and she was taken away to the nearby graveyard. The driver of the horse and cart who was taking her there heard a "knock-knock-knock" at her coffin door.

Of course, the driver stopped, opened up the coffin to find Maggie very much alive and well! So, he brought Maggie back to the gallows to finish the job. When they both arrived back at the gallows the executioner swiftly told them that that cannot happen. Under Scottish law, you cannot be tried twice for the same crime. So simply put Maggie was free to go!

She went onto live for another 40 years. However, for the rest of her life, Maggie acquired a nickname. Locally in Scots, she was called "Half hinget Maggie" or "Half Hanged Maggie" which is very close to a character name in the book - Nearly Headless Nick!

There are 2 theories to why Maggie survived her execution. The first is the cobblestones. If you drive a horse and cart over cobblestones it creates a lot of movement, maybe these vibrations caused Maggie's heart to beat again. The second theory is that she struck a deal with the executioner to not carry out the deed correctly. We will never know the real answer, but we do know that Maggie Dickson was one very lucky lady!

Ok, let's keep moving.

Do you see W.A. Armstrong + Sons Vintage?

When you're ready to continue the walk, head over to it. Read More

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Major Landmarks

Edinburgh Castle
Tartan Weaving Mill & Exhibition
The Witchery by the Castle
The Writers' Museum
Museum Context: Retailer of Harry Potter Merchandise
Candlemaker Row
Greyfriars Kirkyard Cemetery Edinburgh
Greyfriars Bobby's Bar
National Museum of Scotland
The Elephant House

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Getting There

Route Overview

VoiceMap tours follow a route from a set starting point. It’s how we give turn-by-turn directions and tell a story greater than the sum of its parts.

Start location
Castlehill, Edinburgh EH1 2NG, UK
Total distance

2km
Final location
21 Victoria St, Edinburgh EH1 1EN, UK
Distance back to start location

377.48m

Directions to Starting Point

We will begin the tour on the Edinburgh Castle esplanade. It’s the large flat area in front of the Castle gate. To get there walk to the very top of the Royal Mile.

The address on google maps is Castlehill. Head up the Royal Mile, when you are near the top you will spot on your right the Tartan Weaving Mill, walk past it and position yourself in the middle of the esplanade.

There are no direct bus routes to Edinburgh Castle, it is a pedestrian area. However, you can get a local city bus to the North Bridge area, and then it is a 10-minute walk uphill to the starting point.

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Tips

Places to stop along the way

I recommend a visit to Edinburgh Castle. If you intend to go - book your tickets online, it is cheaper.

I also recommend a few eateries near the Grassmarket area. There is Mary’s Milk Bar, an independent ice-cream parlour, they even have a tea and biscuit flavour ice-cream! On Victoria Street there is a Scottish restaurant called Howies, you can sample Scottish cuisine, such as Haggis! They also have a 2-course lunch for £12.50.

If you want to purchase cheaper cashmere or woollen products, I recommend a look in the Tartan Weaving Mill on Castlehill, they make the products on-site and often have good discounted rates.

Best time of day

In my opinion, the tour is best done in daylight. If you want to enter the Castle, plan your visit around 1pm. 6 days a week there will be a cannon fired at exactly one O’ clock, it is quite a spectacle!

If you’d like to visit the Writer’s Museum, it is open between 10am - 5pm. The city is generally quieter early in the morning.

Important information about August:

If you are visiting at the end of July or at any time during the month of August, the city will be very busy. The Castle esplanade will also look different. During the summer months, the esplanade is used as a concert stadium and for 25 nights in August for the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo show. Because this is a military event, access to the esplanade will be restricted after 16:45. Please bear this in mind when starting the tour.

Precautions

Edinburgh is a safe city, just be careful of oncoming traffic on the Royal Mile and as you come out of the Greyfriars Kirkyard. Be prepared for the typical Scottish weather, it is advisable to pack waterproofs and sturdy footwear. The graveyard can be muddy.

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