Creative Content Writer & former Tour Guide at HAGGiS Adventures. Scottish travel blogger and adventure lover. Kay enjoys travelling Scotland solo, and has visited 42 Scottish Islands. She loves to live up to stereotypes by dying her hair ginger, and regularly consuming haggis and whisky. A Scottish history geek and all-around chatterbox, she can literally talk for Scotland.
Harry Potter fever has long since swept the globe. Even though the original movie franchise is over, the magic remains. Potterheads from all over the world still flock to the UK to experience the real-life scenes that made it all so special.
Although most of the movies were filmed on set at Warner Bros. Studios near London, it may come as no surprise that some of the most beautiful and majestic scenes in the series were captured in Scotland. The Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry itself is buried somewhere deep in the Scottish highlands - will you be the one to find it?
Let's grab our broomsticks and fly off on a tour of Scotland's best Harry Potter destinations.
1) Glen Coe
This epic glen is one of our favourite stops on our tours in the Highlands. It was also a key location for the filming of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and played host to three different outdoor sets. You may recognise the stunning mountainsides as the backdrop to Hagrid's hut, as well as the turreted gatehouse of Hogwarts and the Hogwarts bridge. These locations wouldn't have been half as spectacular if it weren't for the dramatic and atmospheric Glen Coe!
2) Glenfinnan Viaduct
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This incredible railway bridge is instantly recognisable from Ron and Harry's airborne encounter with the Hogwarts Express in the Chamber of Secrets. It's a fan favourite location and attracts visitors from all over the world. Incredibly, the viaduct is still active and you can cross it by train on the Jacobite Steam train - a part of the Highland Fling and Compass Buster tour. It might not take you to Hogwarts, but the scenery is just as magical!
3) Loch Etive
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Loch Etive is an unassuming spot out near the famous Glencoe. As well as its epic natural beauty, and proximity to Dunstaffnage Castle, it's also a hit with Harry Potter fans!You may be able to recognise it as the location of Ron, Hermione and Harry's ill-fated camping trip when they were on the run in the Deathly Hallows Part One. Thanks to Scotland's right to roam laws, you can even recreate the camping trip yourselves. Just make sure you check out the local bylaws first.
4) Corrour
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This tiny train station was the setting for an iconic Harry Potter scene, although there's a good chance you won't recognise it at all. It's the very spot in which the Death Eaters held up the Hogwarts Express in the Deathly Hallows Part One. Interestingly, the little station had already gained some fame from its appearance in the cult Scottish classic, Trainspotting.
5) Loch Arkaig
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One of the most action-packed scenes in the whole Harry Potter series is when Ron, Harry and Hermione break into Gringotts Bank and escape on the back of a Ukranian Ironbelly. After a long flight north into the Scottish Highlands, the troublesome trio finally take a dive into a spectacular body of water. Loch Arkaig is where they land. Shots of this beautiful spot were also blended with shots of Loch Eilt to form the cinematic setting for Dumbledore's final resting place.
Grab a fellow Potterhead, check out our guide to Harry Potter locations in Edinburgh, and have a wee browse of our tours in Scotland.
About the author
Kay Gillespie
