Chances are, if you are reading this blog, you are aware that I am a fan of all things Harry Potter and the Wizarding World in which he dwells. This love for all things witchcraft and wizardy started when I was around eleven years old and the first book was published. Through the years, I’ve attended release events for both the books and the movies, founded my own chapter of the HPA, and spent way too much money at Universal’s Wizarding World. John and I even crossed an ocean with The Cursed Child Play at the top of our list of things to do. But nothing could ever prepare this Potter fan for the magic of Edinburgh. While there are countless film locations, conventions all over the world, and Potter themed theme parks, there is nothing quite like being in the magical and historic city of Edinburgh. The historic parts of Edinburgh have a Hogwarts sort of feel to them in every direction you turn. This is the ultimate destination for any Harry Potter fan.
One of the most memorable places in Edinburgh is Greyfriars Kirkyard, which is often called one of the most haunted graveyards in the world.
Greyfriars Kirkyard is the graveyard that J.K. Rowling found some of the names for her characters in. You also have a view of this graveyard from The Elephant Room, where J.K. Rowling wrote some of the earlier novels.
This reminded me of Voldemort.
Goblet of fire vibes, anyone?
This wall was quite lovely. The architecture was simply gorgeous. If you find yourself in Greyfriars Kirkyard, look for this wall and walk through the walkway to find the Potter area.
This is the school that was the inspiration for Hogwarts. This was my view through the gate in the graveyard. The school is private and this is the closest you can get to it. There are said to be four houses here and the colors are similar to that of Hogwarts students. I did see two girls walking into the school wearing Ravenclaw colors but didn’t take their picture since they are minors so you will just have to trust me when I say they looked like Ravenclaw students. Also, this school is now quite expensive but it used to be exclusively for orphans.
I was in love with the gate that separated the graveyard and the school.
The path to Tom Riddle’s grave.
Getting to Tom Riddle’s grave was quite dangerous because it had rained earlier and the ground was slick with mud. I wobbled multiple times on my way but luckily I didn’t fall. It honestly would be have worth it though if I did. I love how large and grand this grave is. I assume the real Tom Riddle was a nice guy but I couldn’t help thinking that the “Sacred” font reminded me of Lord Voldemort.
William McGonagall’s grave was a bit harder to find. If you are at the gate looking at the school, look to your left. I ended up directing a few other Potter fans in the right direction while we were there.
There were a few other rumored graves there that John and I didn’t see due to tour groups. When I’m photographing things I like to travel in a way that is un-rushed and the tour guides make that a bit impossible. We waited outside the area until they left so we could visit the graves quietly but we didn’t feel like hunting down the others with a tour group nearby. Plus the others are harder to find and this gives us another reason to come back!