Firenze, Harry Potter's divination teacher poses for a photo for my walking tour on Edinburgh's Royal Mile
Indepth
⚜︎
writing strategies
⚜︎
magic
reviews stink
Knuts can't buy me love. Hoo-hoo. So have an Acceptance letter

In the footsteps of JK Rowling


comprehensive award-winning tours, on the writing of harry potter

Michael from New York, Tripadvisor:
This tour is a fun fusion of creativity, wit and a passion for Harry Potter! Not only was the tour guide creative, funny and knowledgeable, but he also provided us with so many sweet surprises along the way!

We made our way to various historic sights in Edinburgh all the while listening to informative stories that will certainly delight seasoned wizards or simply Muggles looking to learn more about British culture.

Having been to many Harry Potter related activities (Universal Studios, The Cursed Child, etc), I can confidently say this is one of the top Harry Potter experiences!

Our tour had children, adults and seniors and all of us found something to enjoy. There is a lot of walking involved and at times you will need to listen carefully, but you will certainly be delighted that you did this. Sam's creativity is contagious!

Make It Epic
In Edinburgh, you can step from the page's sketches to skylines mushroomed with stone Wizard towers in the twinkling of an eye. But what's inside a mind that's personally earned us over a billion in taxes? How does it work & how does it think?

Explore the literary witchcraft of the world's most beloved novels on Edinburgh's speediest Potter tours.

The Potter tour hallows


JK's struggles
How to roll with setbacks
& succeed as a writer.
What defines a good person.
Beat the odds with priority
What can we learn from
characters' flaws & fate?
Social activism: lifting lives.
Free thought vs fascism
Rowling's work
teaches: how to be inspired,
obsess to grow originality,
break through blocks,
stay focused
Master wandwork; trace
the mythological roots.
Potter-pilgrim traditions
& Sorting ceremony

Disaster & blood ties propelled JK Rowling to a new country. Love, generosity & a Christian community nurtured Harry through a difficult labour; Harry haunted by tragedy much as Rowling was. Edinburgh's cobbled closes, stone turrets, higgedly piggedly slate roofs nourished Harry's burgeoning kingdom.

Explore the themes of kinship, love, poverty & transcendence through The Boy Who Lived & the Mother he saved.

☞︎
Mostly serious tours for book readers or those who can endure one. Create memories that linger.
Skip to the 8 hour tour

As reported in:

The Potter Tour was reported in the Sunday Times
THE TIMES
⚜︎
  ½ day tour  
⚜︎

JK Rowling's Edinburgh


Walk in her footsteps, stand on her shoulders; for the witches & wizards who can't keep their hand down. Think you know it all?

Insufferable. Let's find out.

JK Rowling is a moderately influential woman who's sold a few books & lives in a tepee... in... Bangalore? No?... Alaska??

On this tour we dive deep into her history.

Learn to use failure as a springboard, be inspired, stay committed & conquer the world. Discover the revelations that enthused her & the cafés which fueled her. Experience how, through grit & failure, buoyed by friendship & love, JK Rowling left footprints upon the world.

Over 4¼ hours learn the entire genesis of Harry Potter, from lightning striking on a Manchester train to becoming a pillar of British culture & shaping a generation.

Edinburgh's cobbled streets, winding alleys, our looming dramatic castle. The city offers many Potteresque vistas
JK Rowling
  1. Explore 40% of Edinburgh's Hogwartian old town, discover fabulous gothic scenes off the Muggle-track. Witness the 'Potteresque contours' of Harry's heady new world.
  2. Learn how an unhappy marriage broke the waters on the worlds' most beloved books.
  3. Feel how Rowling's grief deepened the stories.
  4. Unpick truth from bloggers' beguiling whimsy & discover the ideas & mythology that truly inspired Rowling. We'll visit the Museum of Scotland & the monks' herb garden for illustration but may resort to a diagram of JK's head.
Old Parliament hall Edinburgh echoes Hogwart's Great Hall
Weekdays on request: we can visit Old Parliament hall & learn how British history informed the history of the wizarding world

Cower in terror as we meet dragons, sphinxes & a unicorn. (outside mating season)

They only gore folk they like. Now lie still, we'll have you up & galumphing in a shake of me brolly

Wouldn't it be cool if Rowling's thoughts and example could empower you to lead a more fulfilling, rewarding life? Wouldn't it be cool if there was a tour that showed the way?*

We carry all the power we need inside ourselves already
JK Rowling

* I want to go on that tour.

If you're considering a tour for somebody you love, who has read the books and loves Harry Potter, then you tread in the footsteps of others, they are legion. No terrible reviews so far (touch a wand, all the wands).

A Harry Potter tour in Greyfriars Kirkyard poses beneath JK Rowling's name in neon light
JK Rowling... she's written a book or something?
It's a lot more dark & gritty
kind PotterTrail guides compared

The more difficulties a person has overcome, the more you can learn from them. My tour has darker stories from Rowling's potentially instructive biography, which I hope will inspire those ready to achieve more.

Private tours were chosen by the staff of:

Edinburgh university's student association chose a private tour seeking a more serious chronicle; Depaul university Chicago studied Harry Potter & chose a private tour to cap their pilgrimage; KPMG chose a private Harry Potter tour to explore JK Rowling's resilience & productivity hacks.

day money back promise
 Guaranteed  No Quibbler

If you book through my website and at the end you feel my tour pongs like Merlin's saggy pants I want you to ask for your money back. I want my fellow Potter-heads to have a 'Theôria', a sacred journey & a singular experience; it can be useful to know when I fall short.

Not too awful
Me & my partner had lots of fun on this tour. Sam was exceptional: filled with insightful information and clever links between Edinburgh history and J.K Rowling’s life.

We visited parts of the city we hadn’t before and really got a feel for the place & were able to see the inspiration behind so many famous locations in the Harry Potter books. Sam had great little magical twists & unexpected surprises (that I won’t ruin!) & it was thoroughly enjoyable. I don’t think there’s anything Potter/Rowling related that he does not know!

Definitely worth doing if you are interested in the writer’s life or are a Harry Potter fan. Would definitely recommend.

Amanda, Cambridge UK
Harry Potter's sillouette

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Terrible, absolutely terrible
Sam was incredibly entertaining and a wealth of knowledge! Best tour I’ve been on for as long as I can remember.

His ability to recount endless historical facts/figures while drawing connections to Harry Potter and JK Rowling was impressive. The tour was thorough, but never seemed long due to Sam’s complex understanding of the series and city at large.

Furthermore, he is humble. I had planned to tip as customary, especially considering how much I enjoyed the tour, however, before any of us could pull out our wallets, he was gone! Welp, until next time Sam! Highly recommend.

Samuel, OC California

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

J.K Rowling “Harry Potter” Tour
Sam our tour guide was absolutely wonderful. So kind, informational, and personable. He took group pictures, took any questions, and even extended the tour to show us some hidden gems.

He really loves what he does and it’s infectious. He walks SUPER fast, but in the hustle and bustle of the city, you understand why.

He was so much fun and even wrote the sweetest e-mail afterwards with a Hogwarts poem and extended his thanks. Great tour! Thanks Sam!

Jessica S
Ron Weasley's sillouette

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Super experience
Well worth booking this tour - the kids still talk about it months later.

We got to see places in Edinburgh that I could not have found on my own and it was constantly fascinating!

Mamma, Birmingham England

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

10/10 was tour
Sam took us on a well thought out and entertaining tour through J.K's Edinburgh. He was very knowledgeable and had loads of quirky fun facts and surprises along the way.

I would recommend this tour for children and adults alike. Sam was very accommodating with times and let us join a private tour as he was booked out for the days we wanted!

Thanks Sam- you were a highlight of our trip to Edinburgh.

Brittany Rose
Harry Potter's sillouette

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Felt as though I was a Hogwarts student! Pure magic.
Enjoy a fun and detailed tour with enthusiastic & energetic young guide Sam. In his wizarding robes he will firstly ask the Sorting Hat to find your Hogwarts house.

Then a long and fast paced trot through cobbled streets, down winding alleys, nooks and crannies and even across a graveyard! Ride on a broomstick if you've brought one, otherwise a lot of walking is necessary.

Sam is a delightful fountain of knowledge on everything linked to Harry Potter - the books, films and the author's publishing journey to phenomenal success.

Suitable for young and old Potter fans alike, with plenty of interesting
...Continues on Tripadvisor

Jennifer, Margate England

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Great Harry Potter Tour
If you are thinking of going on a HP tour of Edinburgh, this is the one. Well worth paying for.

Sam shared lots of knowledge, which kept us all interested. Also gives you a good idea of geography of Edinburgh if you do it at start of your visit.

10/10 - don't think twice - just book and enjoy.

Amanda B
Ron Weasley's sillouette

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Best tour ever!!!
We had a brilliant morning with Sam. He was an amazing tour guide, a true Harry Potter fan!! We couldn’t of asked for a better guide around Edinburgh... sam you made our trip!!

Keep it up you’re the best bit of our trip and a memory we will have forever!! Thank you so much!!!

Katy M

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Sam is the best wizard guide anyone could ever hope for!
My mom and I booked the tour with Sam and we were the only ones for that day! It was supposed to be a 2.5 hour tour but he ended up going over time by about an hour to show us as much as possible, and to have tea with us in one of the coffee shops where Rowling wrote the books.

We mentioned we wanted to see Dolly the Sheep in the National Museum, so he took us there as we passed by it so we wouldn't have to come back later!

If there's one thing I learned on the tour, it's that I need to re-read the books. Sam knew absolutely EVERYTHING about Harry Potter and he writes great poems.

If you want the best Potter experience, book this tour!!

Cassandra W
Harry Potter's sillouette

Fantastic!
Sam's tour was amazing today. He is so passionate and full of energy. His knowledge of all things Potter and the history/landmarks/stories relating to it left me completely overwhelmed.

I would recommend this tour to absolutely anyone who is a fan.

That being said, if you are not very fluent in English things might be a bit hard to follow because Sam gets so excited by it all and speaks a bit fast. :)

Lauren, Gwangju South Korea

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Fantastic - What an Experience!!
Sam is the PERFECT guide for an Edinburgh Potter Adventure. From 'Diagon Alley' to the grave sites that inspired character names, Sam knows his stuff is personable and lots of fun!! The 3 hours flew by!!

Even if you only have a passing interest in Harry Potter this walking tour of Edinburgh makes for a good day out with some magic thrown in.

BlondOne65, Brisbane Aus
I enjoyed the meetings too. It was like having friends.
JK Rowling
 
Hold your Hippogriffs! Sam attempts to levitate a feather. Oh no. 2:50 seconds

Trophy room

LUX life magazine awarded the Potter tour Edinburgh's most magical pop culture tour

Reconsider Harry's saga from a newer perspective, based upon Joanne Rowling's trials and tribulations.

If you book via my website I lose 8% in transaction fees, if you book via international tour platforms they take a 26% cut...

Sectumsempra! ✂⚠

So I'd love you to book here.

For this long tour to break even on Tripadvisor, their resales are priced at a premium; Tripadvisor doesn't want me undercutting their resale price here, thus, off-peak, it's a tour for ardent fans who priotise their Edinburgh Potter experience.

If you have time to arrange a private tour for a family group, my rates are kinder than those Tripadvisor lets me offer publicly. If they're book loving fans maybe enquire about my 5½ or 8 hour tours.

It's a niche tour, if you're travelling solo booking me off-season can be tricky. If someone's already booked it is possible to book for one.

You're most welcome to...

Contact Sam
Starts top, besides the statue of the Duke of Wellington on his horse Copenhagen, opposite the Balmoral Hotel
*
 8 hours 
*

Complete Potterhead

I wrote this tour for you.

This tour has a good amount of stairs up the side of a volcanic vent to Edinburgh Castle's esplanade. Don't worry, if we need to amputate your legs the Royal Infirmary will give you a Mad Eye too. If you make it down again and survive to graduate you'll have seen over 50% of Edinburgh's gothic fantastic, the Hogwartian Old Town.

In addition to all that's on the shorter tours this includes:

  1. The Witchery
  2. How community lifted Rowling
  3. Fantastic Beasts & the cross of success
  4. The motivation for The Daily Prophet's Rita Skeeter
A dragon flies by Edinburgh Castle
There's a Castle in the city where Harry Potter was written. Hmmm. Wonder if its special in any way?

Inhale the sweet scents at our Witches fountain (fires of execution usurped by the water of life) & discover how Rowling used our witch trials to add a texture of reality to the Wizarding World.

 
Harry Potter painted as saviour Jesus Christ
JK Rowling never wanted to be a witch but says she was fascinated by alchemy. Explore Rowling's Christianity

Book a Thursday & we can even drink the blood of Christ like Rowling (& Sanguini?), when booking simply ask for the JK Rowling Eucharist™

It has more on JK's writing process:

  1. A tool to convert cliché to originality
  2. A strategy to overcome writer's block
  3. A mindset for using failure like a piston
  4. A fistfull of illustrations of transmuting misfortune into story beating with heart
It may even transport you to a magical world, at least if the wind from Edinburgh's 11 breweries is blowing the right way.


It's been popular amongst generous parents seeking an entirely forgettable rite of passage, visiting teachers who teach the books and passionate fans on a pilgrimage wanting a thorough exploration of Rowling's influences.

Hermoine Granger's sillouette

History, Harry & JK Rowling

Sam surpassed our expectations, delivering a fabulous Harry Potter tour! He was a cauldron of information and pulled surprises out of his knapsack to surprise and entertain.

As a writer I appreciated his knowledge of JK Rowling and her writing process, and my teenagers loved his trivia about the books. We saw parts of Edinburgh we’d never know about on our own. I recommend him and the tour to any HP fans!

Carrie Wolf, Colorado USA
Harry Potter's sillouette

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Amazing HP tour of Edinburgh!
My husband and I went on the 7½ hour Harry Potter walking tour with none ever than the top Harry Potter guide in Edinburgh. I know HP might not be for everyone but for those it is, this is the tour for you!

I thought I knew a lot about Harry Potter but was BLOWN away by Sam’s extensive knowledge and insight. We went all over Edinburgh to see some of the most significant aspects of JK Rowling’s creative journey towards the development of the series.

Sam was so excited and passionate about the tour and sharing his insight it was hard not to meet his enthusiasm. I would HIGHLY recommend this tour.

Emily, Chicago

For true Harry Potter lovers
My daughter and I went to Edinburgh this summer and she is a BIG Harry Potter fan. In looking at things to do on Trip Advisor I stumbled across Harry Potter tours.

I did a lot of research looking at the various tours and reading reviews. I was so fortunate to find the tours that Sam Stratford does.

I began corresponding with him on email to arrange for the tour. I have to admit I did not read the books & although I had heard a lot about it from my daughter & saw some of the movies, it was my daughter who was the fan.

Sam was very responsive and so "Harry Potter" entertaining that I smiled with every correspondence.
... continues on Tripadvisor

Laurel K Carmel, California
Ron Weasley's sillouette

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Sam was superb!
We did a roughly 6 hour tour with Sam today & were very happy with it. Sam knows an insane amount about Harry Potter, JK Rowling, and Scottish history, and wove all of them together very well for this tour.
...
Sam was dressed in full wizard attire and added a lot of fun elements to the tour to make it more personal, including a fun game at lunch!
...
Overall though, this tour was a lot of fun and a great use of the day. We learned so many things we didn’t know, had a great time, and met some great people! Highly recommend for Potter fans.

...read the full review on T.A.

Jenna M, San Jose California

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Absolutely loved it!
I was recommended this tour by friends and am now sharing the love even further.

I absolutely loved Sam's tour. He is an incredible wealth of knowledge and left no stone unturned in his tour through Edinburgh. We visited places we never would have discovered and learnt so many Potter facts plus it served as a bonus history lesson.

It made me want to race back to the hotel and curl up with the book. Thanks for a great adventure... top of the Hogwarts class Sam!

Aura M, Perth Australia
Harry Potter's sillouette

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Not just for tourists - locals too
We have lived in Edinburgh for 23 years and grew up with Harry, Hermione, Ron, et al. Sam's knowledge of the HP stories, his interest in JK Rowling and his ability to weave this all into a tour of Edinburgh was quite remarkable. He even took us to a square that we hadn't appreciated existed.

Well done, Sam. You deserve a full tour every time.

Peter Kelly, Edinburgh

Brilliant!
How can so much information be packed into one wizard's brain?!!!

Sam was an excellent Edinburgh ambassador for our Seattle family of 5 - sharing his wealth of knowledge about the city and it's intimate connection to J.K. Rowling and the world of Harry Potter. Even my reluctant 17 year old son had a fabulous time.

We were able to see many city sites during the tour that we would never have found on our own. Sam did an excellent job of guiding our group around the city streets and finding quiet spots to fill our heads with Potter knowledge.

My only regret is that I do not have a pensieve in which to store the memories! Thank you Sam.

Melissa S
Ron Weasley's sillouette

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thoroughly enjoyable
We spent a lovely morning with Sam, and we were so pleased we chose this tour above all others. It was very refreshing to have a true Potter fan guide us through JK Rowling's world.

Sam was a delight and interacted with the whole group very well. We were sorted into our houses and earned points answering Sam's questions along the way, this was really exciting for the child in our party who became more excited after the chocolate frog at the end.

Sam not only informed about Harry Potter/JK Rowling, but also about the history of the area too, which was an added bonus. I would really recommend this tour. Thank you Sam.

Pebbles, Ayr Scotland

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thoroughly enjoyed myself
A very engaging and interesting tour. Worth doing for Harry Potter fans. Learnt so many new things about JK Rowling's life that showed the book in a new perspective.

Sam is a great tour guide who really knows how to keep us entertained and his bag is full of surprises. It was a magical afternoon.

A Alwani, India
Harry Potter's sillouette

Birthday treat
Genuinely think I couldn't have had a better birthday, sorted into [ Braves ], spent hours learning loads about Harry Potter & seeing some very very interesting places, having a great feast, cocktails afterwards. If only I had been Head Girl.

Thanks so much Sam, you made my birthday magical!!!!!

Emma White, Falkirk Scotland
Books! And cleverness! There are more important things - friendship and bravery...
JK Rowling
 

It stops at Nicolsons (maternity ward of the Philosopher's Stone) or the Elephant house cafe (Chamber of Secrets) for games, a great feast &...

A Mexican pilgrim in JK Rowling's beloved Elephant House cafe
Dear JK Rowling
Thank you for making me feel less alone. You are a life saviour. Also thank you for all the magic in my life.
Love Elsa

Elsa was inspired by Hermione and is now studying to be a Dentist in Mexico. She's full of soul & gratitude; through turbulent times Harry Potter has been her solace. Elsa touched my heart.
  1. Perfecting a witchy song for the school choir in the style of Shakespeare's Macbeth
  2. Donning beads, bangles & thick thick glasses to attempt Tessomancy. "Can I have a look at Uranus too, Lavender?"
  3. Purify ourselves by conjuring a wee tsunami to the tune of Swanlake.

🧘
I admit these can be a stretch for first years, but stretching makes the witch.

Skyline of the Balmoral Hotel
The Balmoral Hotel eclipses Edinburgh Castle. Which book did JK Rowling finish here?
3 wanded Turkish girls pose in front of an Angel on the Royal Mile
In Edinburgh Angels fall from the sky. Then they busk
A tour poses outside the gates of George 'Hogwarts' Heriots school
Discover Rowling's association with George Heriot's School - it has a loving cup! All little Harry sees is Thestrals
Majestic Edinburgh castle in the snow
The Potterhead heads up to Edinburgh Castle esplanade, it's a big, tiring, heart-stressing climb. So you can eat all the Butter brew ice cream you like
A Harry Potter tour group outside St Giles Cathedral
Runnin' like a hairy troll. Learnin' to rock & roll
Spinnin' 'round like a crazy elf. Dancin' by himself
A Harry Potter tour walks towards Edinburgh unversity's McEwan Hall
Edinburgh's McEwan Hall paid for by brewer William McEwan. Many pints perished to bring us this majesty
Yoda teaches a Harry Potter tour outside St Giles Cathedral on the Royal Mile
A visiting Professor from Dagobah tutors the tour in Defence against the Dark Arts
A Harry Potter tour poses outside the Museum of Scotland
Alastair's eye is so creepy! Sometimes we visit the Museum of Scotland & use their palatial Prefect's 🛀 I hate to go when Alastair's there, he can see through anything
German students booked a private Potter Tour
Ever wondered why wandwork is so vital? Wand cores have no active cooling
A tour group gives their thumbs up to the Potter tour outside Surgeons Hall
In front of a Giant's knife outside Surgeons Hall. Does Rowling like knives? Discover the Potter connections
The gates to Greyfriars Kirkyard Edinburgh
We've been burying people here since the 16th century, when Mary Queen of Scots donated the land. JK Rowling wanted the adult generation in Harry Potter to feel like they were from an earlier age, I wonder where she got all those names...
Death levitating on the Royal Mile outside the Tron Kirk
Nice sythe Death, looks like you keep it spine snappingly sharp
Servants of the dark lord sweep down the Royal Mile on broomsticks, my Potter Tour stands to battle
Ha - the look on Harry's face, it's like - nah too mental for me. This is Edinburgh's Royal Mile where we study Transfiguration
Outside Edinburgh's writers museum
Sometimes we visit inside the writer's museum here on tours
A Harry Potter tour poses with a flying wizard on the Royal Mile
A visiting professor flies in to teach love potions

Why?
I like doing this tour because it's special for me. I like the magic, I like the extra stories & hell, to me the creative heavy lifting is in the writing, the books are not unimportant, I think their creation & inspirations merit scrutiny.

Pricing
Warner Brother's Harry Potter studio tour like my tour is luxurious & fills a day, their complete adult package totals £57.50, a ticket for a family of 4 is £172.

Merlin's beard, that's nearly half the price of a Firebolt! No actually, it is HALF!

Neither is the Potterhead inexpensive. For 1 person it's £110 🤯 For 2 it's £135, £67.50 each 😱 But the price increase is astronomical minimal for each further person, upto 8.

The better question is "It's 8 hours, do they have the interest?"

For booking or questions...

Contact Sam
❧︎
2½ hours
❧︎

The Potter Tour


A short private tour on the date of your choice. Showcasing all the chief sights connected to the books, perfect for restless Fred & Georges who'd like a certain brilliant witch to do all their homework because they have mischief to make.

If you just thought 'But they were in different years!', then you are truly, insufferably, insane.

You should come on my tour.

A Harry Potter tour dressed in cosplay poses on Victoria Street
Victoria Street, acclaimed as Diagon Alley, now dethroned. Over summer we stop here for Scottish ice-cream; this class just had a standard Cheering charm, I love a fizzy brain
Young Witch in a Sorting Hat floats in mid air above Princes Street Edinburgh, the Castle in the background
Had a young witch on the tour today, she doesn't even need a broom
St Giles Cathedral stands in for the gates of Hogwarts
St Giles Cathedral is not the doors of Hogwarts, however if Professor McGonagall cast Piertotum Locomotor the stone saints would surely spring to life
Tom Riddle's Court Edinburgh with prentice stair
Lions tigers and bears oh my!
Some come for passion, some come in Loopy hats, all are welcome
A Harry Potter tour poses in Makars Court
Defend yourselves, servants of the Dark Lord incoming! Obviously some take this more seriously than others; they're probably better at Apparition
A wizard tour guide stands before Tom Riddle's grave
The tour is open to all denominations so sometimes we'll do a eulogy to Thomas Riddell for practioners of the Dark Arts. I see you
St Columba journeys on a boat to bring Christianity to Scotland
At the fortress of King Bridei near Loch Ness St Columba took down the old ways. The gates were barred but Columba made the sign of the cross & they were flung asunder. He confronted a Pictish Druid & a battle of supernatural wills followed... Rowling's a Christian, discover its significance
A Harry Potter tour poses outside St Giles Cathedral
What do we want? Elf liberation. When do we want it? Now!
But bless their flappy ears, they look so happy. Goblin oppression & unionisation covered at the bank reputed to have inspired Gringotts
Demonic imagery adorns the sign of the Witchery restaurant on Castlehill
What happens when Britain's biggest mystery, fantasy, childrens, literary novelist philanthropist meets the most seductive & demonic restaurant there is?
Edinburgh's Writers museum
Sometimes we pop inside the Writer's museum here for an exhibit & story about master Potter
Riddle's Court one time home of Professor Mcgonagall
Riddle's Court... how many bodies have come out off this place? Poor Scottish historic buildings trust have to keep repainting the walls
A tour group practices witchcraft outside St Giles Cathedral
It's a spell to.... I dunno, make things really glowy? When you no longer need the library or doddering balding professors & you begin improvising your own magic, that's when you've hit mastery
A Harry Potter tour poses by Bucephalus, outside City Chambers
A class wraps up outside City Chambers before Alexander the Great taming his horse Bucephalus. Goodbye friends!

A lot of JK Rowling's story, a touch of mythological inspirations, but a larger proportion of Edinburgh's well trod, traditional 'Harry Potter trail'.

We'll visit the 'Harry Potter cafés' & learn why Rowling loved them so intensely. We'll see McEwan Hall where Rowling graduated. My neighbour Otis was also there, graduating with a degree in Education, he says he was honoured to graduate with her; you'll learn JK's thoughts on life.

👣

A key part of Edinburgh's 'Harry Potter trail' is Greyfriars Kirkyard. Rowling has disowned, we'll explore this. We'll see Hogwarts, no more! You'll learn Rowling's true association with the school.

We'll visit the library Rowling armoured up for rejection in and learn the daily rituals she exercises to honour her desired epitaph.

🛡️

High above twisty Victoria Street we'll see why proprietors crowned it Diagon Alley, fans greeted it as a homecoming, & explore why Rowling decapitated it. We'll visit 16th century townhouse Riddle's Court - I wonder why? Finally we'll witness why Rowling's hands cause such a stir.

Lit by a torch of truth & motivated by a fan's heart of love we'll see everything whimsical bloggers write about & a few things stranger. A decent arc of our historic Old Town Rowling wandered betwixt museums, writing & cheap coffee.

🔥

It's been most popular with seniors, leaving them the time & energy for cafés & castles. And guardians of pre-teen boys who'd most like 10 hours of dueling lessons followed by Dragon wrestling, bless them.

It seemed more adult
Ina Bloemer, Edinburgh university student organiser chose Potter Tour

Drink in the scenes & atmospheres JK Rowling broadly credits for gifting a more tart gothic flavour to Harry's true home.

Afternoon bookings are less expensive.

For groups greater than six please

Contact Sam

As featured in the:

The Potter tour was featured in the Daily Mail

Do you visit the grave of He Who Must Not Be Named? You bet your Longbottom. But gain a more meaningful experience from the journey of the world's most renowned author:

The Elephant House cafe where Rowling wrote Harry Potter battling the Basilisk
Where Rowling graduated
Meet the Baxter's Dragons & a distant poetic relative of Prof McGonagall
Lady Stair's mansion & its Edinburgh writers' tradition
JK Rowling's true relation to George 'not the Hogwarts' Heriots, a casteled school with a peculiar loving cup
The scene of Rowling's writer's block & the "maternity ward" of Harry Potter
Victoria Street & its Harry Potter shops, drummed as 'Diagon Alley' by proprietors & not a few fans. Alas Rowling confesses her wild imaginings cannot claim anchor there
The community that helped Rowling reach her potential
Parliament Square: JK Rowling's Europhilia - Oh my!
Britain's most seductive restaurant & JK's good man. Lesson: stay away from bass players, seek keyboardists
Harry Potter & Edinburgh Castle
16th century townhouse Riddle's Court where the sun seldom reaches
JK Rowling's Edinburgh award
A private Harry Potter tour enjoys ice cream outside Scotland's smallest icecream parlour, Overlangshaw Farmhouse at the foot of Victoria Street
What does Butterbrew ice cream taste like? 
Merlin's beard book! Why choose me?
☞︎
More Rowling, more of her inspirations, more magic, more memories.

Art Credits
Old Parliament Hall illustration from the magazine The Graphic, volume XIX, no 479, February 1, 1879.
Harry Potter in the style of weeping Jesus came via a blog & is by an unknown artist. If it's you, I bow to your talent, please contact me.
The talented Jonathon Higgins for the dragon flyby of Edinburgh Castle. Sweet riding skills bro.

Disclaimer
While this tour is inspired by Harry Potter and designed for Harry Potter fans to have the best visit, it is not endorsed by or affiliated with Warner Brothers. While I'm a fan, and would love to go on a tour of Edinburgh with Rowling or even Pottermore, I'm not associated with them, or JK Rowling's publishers' either. Besides I want her to keep writing fantastic Fantastic Beast's movies.

The tour is a scripted tour which is my highest achievement and due to the passage it took to create it, my life's work. Please do not reproduce or copy my tour, if you wouldn't want to be stolen from and devastated please don't help the Dungs of this world do so to me. Review it instead, that's the greatest tribute and help.

Potter guides & aspiring guides, please go elsewhere. As a fellow human I love you and want the best for you, but becoming successful as a Potter guide is a struggle, it's Tri Wizard tournament competitive and it's hard to be as big as Cedric Diggory, and look! He ended up deid.

Magic
The magic on this tour is simply that, magic. All magic is illusion and any Potter style claptrap I may say on the tour should be taken in the spirit of fun and does not DOES NOT overturn the laws of physics or finger God.

May Merlin bless us all.

Tap, tap, tap the wand that's eldest of them all
Poisonous roots & hollow branches,
sculpted Death's divine tool.

If your clumsy magic puts you in the wringer
Limber up that magnificent index finger.

 
Book Now