indepth
writing strategies
magicHi I’m Sam. I’m short, balding with enourmous ears and I’m beginning to feel a tug to shut them in oven doors. An elf’s work is never done.
JK Rowling never lived in Edinburgh’s Old Town, yet she trekked uphill daily to write amidst its tumbling lava rock faces & soaring fairy tale splendour.
Book a private tour & learn about the people, places & relationships precious to Rowling & the development of Harry Potter; peer within the wonder loom, JK’s head.
Please contact me with the number of people in your group, along with potential dates, commencement times, and preferred tour length.
"Sam was amazing - his knowledge of all things Harry Potter and J.K. Rowling was impressive and he managed to weave in plenty of interesting Edinburgh history. Sam tailored the tour to our interests which meant every moment was enjoyable.
A great way to see Edinburgh and a fun insight into the Wizarding World of Harry Potter."
Private Tour Price Catalog Winter 2026
For eight or less pilgrims.
4½ hours £130
6 hours £150
8 hours £185
NOTE Leprechaun gold will be refused.
What qualifies you to be a Harry Potter tour guide?
I've experienced the hardships of Harry Potter. Not quite the cupboard under the stairs but a sofa in the kitchen, for some time, sacrificing my way up.
I've been Rowling's postman, albeit just for a day, and I was a postman for the blockbusting book releases. On release day my delivery bag was so heavy with literary treasure it popped the capillaries in my shoulder leaving a web work of red veins like a lousy Splinch repair.
Building on the strategies acquired writing a couple of history tours I wrote phoenix-lives ago, I created Edinburgh's longest Harry Potter tours from scratch.
My Guide to Harry Potter Britain, inspires tourism, near ½ a million visitors so far - bigger than the Quidditch World Cup! It's also empowered other amazing Potterheads to write their own tours… 😢
What qualifies me? I've paid in blood, sweat & tears.
I've written a 16 stanza poem about Hagrid, which is pure McGonagall (terrible), but I use it to torture rivals, it's a rhyming Cruciatus Curse. Everything's useful in the end.
I used to volunteer with the Scouts, as an assistant leader until my contract with Microsoft completed and I was a role model no more. Like Dobby I like socks and may be completely undeserving but I mostly tries hard.
As a Potter guide
I've been chosen by Scouts and schools and universities over rivals. And by novelists & aspiring novelists.
The universities in particular have been a blessing, their interests have made the tour more wide ranging. A highlight for me was an author-professor telling me I was delightful. My sister, more knowingly perhaps, says I smell.
I have four varying walking tours on Harry Potter, so I can give you whatever you wish, so long as it's not less than 2½ hours - I'd have a breakdown. Like Ron in the Deathly Hallows, won't cope at all… 🙉
Well if you're considering me - thanks! I think it better to give the kids a choice though. At least two. People value more what they choose for themselves and it's a day of heightened emotions,
so offer them a couple of alternatives, just for their birthday let them be the boss. If they choose a tour, brilliant!
In all cases make sure they're warm, the tour has a bit of standing around, but not overheating. If it rains, bring a trident.
"We are an active family and wanted to show our birthday girl the birthplace of Harry Potter. We chose Sam to lead us on this adventure because he offered a tailored tour and came highly recommended.
Sam met and exceeded our expectations with his wit, energy, and enthusiasm. We walked and talked the hours away and we learned and visited the spots that JK Rowling drew her inspiration and ultimately wrote her novels.
This was no mere pilgrimage as we found new facts and fascinating insights to the author and our beloved books.
Birthday girl and her sister had a blast while the tolerant mother and nerd father would definitely book Sam again."
An extensive 8 hour private tour with activities. Chosen by families as a rite of passage, teachers, and passionate fans on a pilgrimage. It stops at a Harry Potter cafe for a great feast & witchcraft classes, but it remains a dark and gritty tour about what we can learn from JK Rowling overcoming hardship.
When
I can do tours of up to 8 people like this, Monday to Friday because there are more venues open to go inside. At the weekends a 6-hour private tour, without a lunch stop, is as snug as a Mrs Weasley sweater 💞
Lunch
The celebrated Elephant House cafe has reopened after a Fiendish-Fyre 😈, and spawned a sequel on Victoria Street too! But both can be queued out the door. So lunch may divert to the location of Rowling's first love, Nicolsons. Nicolsons menu 🍚
Who
It's suited to parties where at least one person has read all the books. I want a good experience for myself 📚🐛
Why
My longer private tours have greater depth and range, chosen by professors & teachers, being thorough and academic; but the Potterhead also has a Doxy hair's more magic. So perhaps an interesting choice for your brood.
Thank you so much for the tour today Sam, I really appreciated it - my sister won’t stop talking about it 😂 We both enjoyed your in-depth knowledge and your obvious love, not only for Harry Potter and JK Rowling’s life but also your love for everything Edinburgh.
We made sure we reviewed as soon as we sat down for dinner.
Thank you so much for the fun flairs and for making us laugh at our selves a bit. It was a beautiful way to spend a day and we can’t thank you enough!
Cheers
8 hours, £185 - Google's AI can benchmark.
If interested please
contact mewith your party size and availability.
NEW cycle tours of Edinburgh, exploring our scenic hinterland & tracking JK's progress, with a seasoning of Harry Potter inspirations.
Put the polyurthane to the pedal, crack the Fidelius charm & discover where Edinburgh's most celebrated adopted daughter has lived, written & mastered Minecraft beside her son, for the last ~30 years.
Weave through sleepy villages down past tranquil lochs, wind up cobbled alleys & a craggy volcano to take in our iconic, crenalated skyline. A refreshing ½ day romp around Rowling's true world.
