# Harry Potter walk through Edinburgh's old town: what is real and what is legend

What to do en Edinburgh · Edinburgh

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/scotland/edinburgh/things-to-do/harry-potter-walk · Revisado: 2026-11-13

- Duración: 1 h 30
- Temporada: All year
- Para quién: Readers from around age 7; almost all flat

Walk · 1 h 15 – 1 h 30 · free or with a guided tour by donation · Greyfriars, Victoria Street and Rowling's cafés

The first thing worth knowing: no Harry Potter film was shot in Edinburgh. The saga was filmed mostly at Leavesden Studios, in England. What Edinburgh has is something else: J.K. Rowling lived here from the end of 1993, wrote a good part of the books in old town cafés and finished the last one here. Some places have a proven connection; others are only said to have inspired her. This walk separates one from the other. It is about 2 km, almost flat, and takes an hour and a half.
What is documented

The cafés where she wrote. Rowling often wrote in cafés; one of them was Nicolson's, which her brother-in-law part-owned. The Elephant House, at 21 George IV Bridge, says the writer worked in its back room, with views of the castle and Greyfriars, and that she introduced herself to the staff in 1997, after the first book's success. The café burned in July 2021 after a fire in the neighbouring premises and was closed for more than four years; it reopened in December 2025 and is open every day from 9:00 to 18:00, no booking needed.
The Balmoral, room 552. In this hotel next to Waverley station, Rowling finished Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows on 11 January 2007, and wrote so on a marble bust in the room. Today it is the J.K. Rowling Suite, one of the hotel's suites.
Rowling's hands at the City Chambers. In 2008 she received the Edinburgh Award, and the council reproduces the hands of each recipient on a slab in the City Chambers courtyard, right on the Royal Mile.

What is said, and why

The graves at Greyfriars. In Greyfriars cemetery lies a Thomas Riddell, and it is believed his name may have inspired Tom Riddle, the future Voldemort; there is no confirmation from the author. There is also the grave of the poet William McGonagall: the surname matches the professor's, and that is all. The cemetery is a good place anyway: enter by the gate next to the statue of Greyfriars Bobby.
Victoria Street. This curving street of colourful façades, which drops down to the Grassmarket, is presented as the model for Diagon Alley. It is an idea that circulates among fans and shops; the author has not confirmed it. At number 30, a second Elephant House café opened in 2023.

With a guide: The Potter Trail
The Potter Trail has run the walk since 2012 with guides dressed as wizards. The public tour is free, with a voluntary tip at the end, but you must book: it leaves from 4 Greyfriars Place, opposite Bobby's Sandwich Shop, at 11:00 almost every day, and ends on Victoria Street after 75 to 90 minutes. It is in English and recommended from around age 7. Bring something that can serve as a wand: a pencil or an umbrella will do.

Lo organiza: The Potter Trail (https://www.pottertrail.com/public-tours)

Lo organiza: The Potter Trail (https://www.pottertrail.com/private-tours)

## Cómo llegar y contacto

- Coordenadas: 55.9468, -3.1917

## Cerca de aquí

- [The Elephant House](https://www.geocalia.com/en/scotland/edinburgh/where-to-eat/the-elephant-house), a 89 m
- [National Museum of Scotland, from Dolly the sheep to the rooftop terrace](https://www.geocalia.com/en/scotland/edinburgh/things-to-do/national-museum-of-scotland), a 157 m
- [Oink Victoria Street](https://www.geocalia.com/en/scotland/edinburgh/where-to-eat/oink-victoria-street), a 191 m
- [Mary's Milk Bar](https://www.geocalia.com/en/scotland/edinburgh/where-to-eat/marys-milk-bar), a 234 m
- [The Royal Mile, from the castle to Holyrood along the Old Town's high street](https://www.geocalia.com/en/scotland/edinburgh/things-to-do/royal-mile), a 304 m
- [Castle Rock Hostel](https://www.geocalia.com/en/scotland/edinburgh/where-to-stay/castle-rock-hostel), a 315 m
- [The Scotch Whisky Experience, a whisky tasting next to the castle](https://www.geocalia.com/en/scotland/edinburgh/things-to-do/scotch-whisky-experience), a 339 m
- [The Witchery by the Castle](https://www.geocalia.com/en/scotland/edinburgh/where-to-eat/the-witchery-by-the-castle), a 340 m

## Consejos

### Book the free tour
Without a booking there is no place, and in summer it fills up. If it is full, The Potter Trail puts people on a waiting list by email.

### Have breakfast first at The Elephant House
It opens at 9:00, takes no bookings and is a few steps from The Potter Trail's departure point, on the same George IV Bridge.

### Finish in the Grassmarket
Victoria Street drops down to the Grassmarket, with places to eat. The castle towers above.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### Was Harry Potter filmed in Edinburgh?
No. The films were mostly shot at Leavesden Studios, in England. Edinburgh is the city where Rowling wrote the books.

### Is The Elephant House open?
Yes. After the 2021 fire it reopened in December 2025, at 21 George IV Bridge, from 9:00 to 18:00 every day.

### Is Victoria Street Diagon Alley?
That is what is said, but the author has not confirmed it.

### How much does The Potter Trail tour cost?
The public one is free, with a voluntary tip. The private one is priced per person depending on group size.

### Can you see Rowling's suite at The Balmoral?
It is a hotel suite, not a visitor room. If you are interested, ask the hotel.

Destino: [Edinburgh](https://www.geocalia.com/en/scotland/edinburgh.md)