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Bros’ art department (it’s displayed at
The Making of Harry Potter). But the real
backdrop for Hogwarts’ Black Lake
was Loch Shiel, 255 kilometres from
Edinburgh in the Highlands of north-
west Scotland. Boasting some of Britain’s
most dramatic, ice-carved landscapes,
this mountainous region is sprinkled
with Harry Potter filming locations.
Perhaps the most alluring of all is
the Glenfinnan Viaduct. Situated at the
top of Loch Shiel, this 21-arched marvel
of Victorian engineering carried the
Hogwarts Express (and, in The Chamber
of Secrets, Harry and Ron’s flying Ford
Anglia). At certain times of the year, The
Jacobite — a Hogwarts Express-style
locomotive — steams across the viaduct
on a 135-kilometre round trip between
Fort William and the port of Mallaig.
Fort William is a handy base for
Potterheads, and has on its doorstep
Scotland’s highest peak, Ben Nevis. At
1345 metres above sea level, it is a magnet
for outdoorsy types. A 10-minute drive
east of Fort William is Glen Nevis, a
craggy valley with ruggedly picturesque
landmarks, such as Steall Falls and Nevis
Gorge. In The Goblet of Fire, Harry battled
here with a Hungarian Horntail dragon at
the Triwizard Tournament.
Another breathtaking nearby valley
(a 30-minute drive south of Fort William)
is Glen Coe. Tufted with pines, spruce
and wildflowers, this area has featured
in scores of movies — including Mel
Gibson’s 1995 war epic, Braveheart — and
was used heavily in the Harry Potter series,
most notably in The Prisoner of Azkaban.
Hagrid’s Hut sprouted in the area and,
although it was demolished post-filming,
its location still draws hikers clad in
Gryindor scarves, hats and polo shirts.
A 10-minute walk from the hut’s former
spot is Clachaig Inn, a snug hotel-bar
with roaring log fires. Nearby there are
magical views of Torren Lochan, a small
lake fringed by woods and mountains in
which you can half-imagine lurk elves
and goblins, and myriad other creatures
conjured from the pen of JK Rowling.
FIVE
OTHER
BRITISH
POTTER
SPOTSOXFORD
The medieval
halls, stairways and
cloisters of ‘The City
of Dreaming Spires’,
as Oxford is known,
featured in several
Hogwarts scenes.
Locations included
the Bodleian Library,
New College and
Christ Church.
http://www.location
oxfordshire.co.uk.ALNWICK CASTLE
The grounds of this
ancestral home in
Northumberland
also stood in for
Hogwarts when
Harry had his first
broomstick flying
lessons. http://www.
alnwickcastle.com.GOATHLAND
Goathland railway
station, in the North
York Moors National
Park, morphed into
Hogsmeade station,
where passengers
alighted from the
Hogwarts Express.
Heritage steam
trains with dining
carriages call in here.
http://www.nymr.co.uk.BEACHY HEAD
Hugging England’s
south coast near
Eastbourne, the
grasslands capping
these white clifs
staged the Quidditch
World Cup in The
Goblet of Fire. http://www.
beachyhead.org.uk.LAVENHAM
Characterised
by its crooked,
timber-beamed
medieval cottages,
this Sufolk village
was the setting for
Godric’s Hollow,
Harry's birthplace.
De Vere House, on
Water Street, was
the home of Harry
Potter’s parents
in The Deathly
Hallows. http://www.visit-
lavenham.co.uk.