In a nutshell
- J.K. Rowling wrote the beloved Harry Potter books in Edinburgh and drew inspiration for her characters and locations right here in the city.
- We’ll show you the 9 coolest Harry Potter sites in Edinburgh — including where to drink Butterbeer.
- Our 3 personal favorites are the Elephant House, Victoria Street with the official Harry Potter shop, and Greyfriars Kirkyard.
- We also did a fantastic Harry Potter walking tour in Edinburgh — and we’d absolutely recommend it.
Harry Potter Locations in Edinburgh on the Map
To help you get your bearings, we’ve marked all the Harry Potter locations in Edinburgh on a map.
The Elephant House: Rowling's Writing Spot
The Elephant House is a café in the Old Town, right in the heart of Edinburgh’s best attractions. J.K. Rowling spent many hours here, writing parts of her Harry Potter books over cups of café au lait.
After a serious fire in 2021, the original café on George IV Bridge was closed for a long time. It reopened at the end of December 2025.
During the closure, a second The Elephant House on Victoria Street opened (which we visited) — and it’s here to stay.
In a wonderfully cozy atmosphere, you can enjoy coffee, hot chocolate, and butterbeer, or grab something delicious to eat at either café.
Back in the day, the bathroom walls of the original Elephant House were covered in quotes and messages from fans. That tradition has been carried on at the Victoria Street location — and it probably won’t take long before the walls of the newly reopened café are full too. You’re welcome to grab a pen and add your own message if you feel like it — how cool is that!
By the way: the first Harry Potter book wasn’t written at the Elephant House — it was written at what is now The Spoon (our number 4).
Victoria Street: Edinburgh's Diagon Alley
Victoria Street is a winding shopping street lined with colorful storefronts right in the heart of Edinburgh’s historic center.
Rowling has never officially confirmed that the street inspired her. But the resemblance is so striking that Victoria Street has become a place of pilgrimage for Harry Potter fans.
No wonder! Walking down it, you half expect to see Ollivanders or Flourish & Blotts around the next corner!
The wizarding world’s shops aren’t actually there, unfortunately — but Victoria Street does have the official Harry Potter store Museum Context, the new Elephant House, and one of the coolest bookstores in Edinburgh.
Greyfriars Kirkyard: Voldemort's Grave
The Greyfriars Kirkyard cemetery in Edinburgh’s Old Town is the spiritual birthplace of Lord Voldemort. It’s here that J.K. Rowling discovered the 19th-century graves of Thomas Riddle and Thomas Riddle Junior, and found the name so fitting that she borrowed it for Harry Potter’s arch-enemy.
Minerva McGonagall also owes her name to this cemetery — or more precisely, to the stone of William McGonagall.
And isn’t there something poetically ironic about the fact that the grave of Tom Riddle is located in the very city where Harry Potter was born?
The Spoon: Harry Potter's True Birthplace
The Elephant House is often called the birthplace of Harry Potter — but that’s not entirely accurate. The idea for the books came to Rowling on a train, and the first book was written right here at the café now known as The Spoon — less than a ten-minute walk from The Elephant House.
Back then, the café was called Nicolson’s and was owned by her brother-in-law.
Balmoral Hotel: The J.K. Rowling Suite
The Balmoral is a famous hotel in Edinburgh, located on Princes Street. In 2007, Rowling checked in and, in room 552, finished writing the final Harry Potter book.
The hotel staff had to keep quiet for months, because no one could know what was happening in that room — after all, half the Muggle world was waiting to find out how the story ended.
When the luxury room isn’t occupied, you’re welcome to visit it free of charge and sit at the very desk where Rowling decided who would live and who would die.
In a display case in the room, you can even see a Hermes bust with Rowling’s inscription: “J. K. Rowling finished writing Harry Potter + the Deathly Hallows in this room (552) on 11th Jan 2007.”
George Heriot's School: Hogwarts in Edinburgh
George Heriot’s School is a private day school in Edinburgh’s Old Town that bears a striking resemblance to Hogwarts. You can see it directly from Greyfriars Kirkyard — it’s almost a lesser-known gem in Edinburgh that most visitors walk right past.
And Rowling’s own children attended George Heriot’s School.
Here’s a seriously interesting detail: this school is also divided into four houses. It’s entirely possible that Rowling found her inspiration for Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Slytherin, and Hufflepuff right here.
Museum Context: Edinburgh's Harry Potter Store
Which Harry Potter fan hasn’t dreamed of shopping in Diagon Alley? At the official Harry Potter store, Museum Context, on Victoria Street, you can get preeeeetty close to that experience.
The shop looks like it was lifted straight from Rowling’s books, even from the outside.
A fun fact: from 1873 to 2004, the store was actually a broom and brush shop called Robert Cresser’s brush and broom shop.
Of course, every Potter fan wants to go inside. So there’s a short queue at the entrance that you’ll need to join. But you won’t be waiting more than 15 minutes.
Magical Harry Potter Walking Tour of Edinburgh
You don’t have to explore Edinburgh’s magical side on your own. The Harry Potter walking tour takes you to all the most important harry potter sites in Edinburgh, such as Greyfriars Kirkyard and Victoria Street.
Super cool: before the tour kicks off, you’ll be sorted into a Hogwarts house and can earn points for your house along the way with a Harry Potter quiz.
We did the tour ourselves and absolutely loved it!
Even as big Harry Potter fans, we learned a thing or two, got to discover some truly amazing spots, and even won the quiz — hehe. There was no prize, but we were thrilled nonetheless.
Book the Harry Potter walking tour of Edinburgh online
We’ll show you more great city tours of Edinburgh here:
Ride the Hogwarts Express from Edinburgh
Got plenty of time in Edinburgh? Then you really don’t want to miss the Hogwarts Express ride through the Scottish Highlands.
Yes, you read that right! The Hogwarts Express! And that’s not even all. The excursion starts by bus at The Elephant House in Edinburgh and takes you first to Fort William, passing the volcanic gorge from “The Prisoner of Azkaban.”
In Fort William, you board the Hogwarts Express and ride across the famous Glenfinnan Viaduct. You’ll pass Loch Shiel from “The Chamber of Secrets” and the setting of the Triwizard Tournament.
Feeling the tingle yet? We definitely were! What an incredible experience!
Book the Hogwarts Express ride online
Practical Tips for Harry Potter Fans in Edinburgh
Last but not least, here are a few pointers from us — one traveling Harry Potter fan to another:
What does Edinburgh have to do with Harry Potter?
Edinburgh is the birthplace of the Harry Potter books! J.K. Rowling not only drew inspiration for the locations and characters here, but also wrote the entire book series — in two Old Town cafés and a hotel room — a series that has enchanted millions of people to this day. Incredible!
Where in Edinburgh was Harry Potter filmed?
Brace yourself! Not a single Harry Potter scene was filmed in Edinburgh. The city was simply a source of inspiration and the place where J.K. Rowling created the books.
That said, there are several other locations in Scotland where scenes from the Harry Potter films were shot — including Loch Shiel, Rannoch Moor, and the Glenfinnan Viaduct.
Drink butterbeer in Edinburgh?
Yes! In Edinburgh, you can actually drink the beloved beverage from the Harry Potter books. You’ll find it at the new The Elephant House on Victoria Street or at The Dog House — a pub in the Newington neighborhood.
