JK Rowling's Edinburgh where The Boy Who Lived was conceived
A wander through Edinburgh in search of The Boy Who Lived and The Writer Who Created Him.
WHEN IT COMES to the Harry Potter films, there’s no end of great walking locations to explore: Glenfinnan, Malham Cove, Alnwick Castle, the Forest of Dean and the Seven Sisters to name but a few.
But when it comes to the books, there’s just one spiritual home to go to: Edinburgh.
Joanne Rowling (the K stands for Kathleen and was borrowed from her grandmother, rather than being her actual middle name) moved to the Scottish capital in 1993 following the breakup of her marriage. With her, she brought her five-month-old daughter Jessica, and three chapters of a book she had started working on. It was about the adventures of a boy wizard.
Although destitute and suffering from severe depression (which would manifest in the books as the horrifying Dementors), she found inspiration everywhere in the city. She would write in several cafés, often with Jessica on her lap, including Nicolson’s Café on Nicolson Street (now called Spoon) and the Elephant House Café.
Quirkily curving Victoria Street is thought to have influenced Diagon Alley, while Grassmarket is a possible Hogsmeade. George Heriot’s School is a clear inspiration for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Not only is it an imposing building with multiple turrets and a domed cupola, but it also ‘sorts’ pupils into houses whose colours are similar to those of Hogwarts (although they’re called Lauriston, Greyfriars, Raeburn and Castle rather than Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw).
Close to the school is the Greyfriars graveyard, where Rowling found several names for key heroes and villains: the poet William McGonagall (universally regarded as one of the worst poets in British history) is likely to have given us Professor Minerva McGonagall; Elizabeth Moodie is a likely source for Alastor ‘Mad-Eye’ Moody, and most chillingly there’s Thomas Riddell Esq. Tom Riddle, of course, is the birth name of Lord Voldemort.
Rowling wrote the early books in penury, but for the final chapter of the final book, she decided to treat herself. Room 552 at the exquisite Balmoral Hotel on Princes Street is now known as The JK Rowling Suite, and for upwards of £1500 per night, you can stay in it, and seek out the marble bust of Hermes which she vandalised thus: JK Rowling finished writing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in this room on 11th Jan 2007.
WALK HERE: There’s a huge range of Harry Potter walking tours in Edinburgh, and plenty of selfguided options online. Try freetoursbyfoot.com BIG NAMES
(Below left) The graves of Thomas Riddell and William McGonagall in Greyfriars graveyard.