Follow this guide to have a perfect Harry Potter themed day in Edinburgh that is completely immersive. You will shop for wizarding supplies on Edinburgh’s Diagon Alley, drink butterbeer, participate in a potions class and (hopefully!) defeat the Dark Lord. Muggles beware…
1. First Stop: A sorting ceremony at Hogwarts
We will start our perfect Harry Potter themed day in Edinburgh at New College on the Mound. As you enter the gates, the towering turrets and imposing wooden doors will transport you straight to Hogwarts. Imagine you are arriving for the first time fresh off the Hogwarts Express!
You will be able to capture some great photos here but I also suggest taking time to sit down on one of the benches in the courtyard. A great activity would be to download the Harry Potter Fanclub App and get all of your party to participate in the sorting ceremony to determine what house you will be in for the day! Great fun! I was a Hufflepuff…
“Harry gripped the edges of the stool and thought, ‘Not Slytherin, not Slytherin”
Tip: Make sure you have the sound on for the sorting ceremony on your phone.
2. Shopping for Wizarding Supplies
“Welcome,” said Hagrid, “To Diagon Alley”
From New College, continue your perfect Harry Potter themed day by heading up Milne’s Court (one of Edinburgh’s unique narrow lanes called closes). It is easy to imagine yourself walking around the dark and sinister lanes in the seedier parts of the wizarding world. At the top of the close, cross over the Royal Mile onto Upper Bow and head down the steps straight ahead. At the bottom of the steps you will find yourself in the heart of Victoria Street, widely believed to be JK Rowling’s inspiration for Diagon Alley. This is a great street to wander around and pretend you are Ron, Harmione and Harry shopping for school supplies.
The best shop is Museum Context with absolutely everything a wizard could want from wands to furry pet owls. If you head up to the top level, there is a great photo opportunity. Don’t miss it!
“There were shops selling robes, shops selling telescopes and strange silver instruments Harry had never seen before, windows stacked with barrels of bat spleens and eels’ eyes, tottering piles of spell books, quills and rolls of parchment, potions bottles, globes of moon….”
Time for a sweet treat! At the bottom of Victoria Street, turn right into the Grassmarket and you will find Bains Sweet Shop about half way down the street on the left hand side. This could easily be mistaken for Honeydukes. It is an absolute delight for kids and sweet toothed adults and has every type of sweet you could ever hope for. I challenge you to come out empty handed!
3. Meddle in the Dark Arts
If your magical persuasion leans more towards the dark arts, you may want to turn left at the bottom of Victoria Street and head towards Black Moon Botanica on Candlemaker Row. Open in the afternoons, here you can find goods of a slightly more shady nature here. Imagine you are in Borgin and Burke’s on Knockturn Alley while browsing the wares. Watch out for the Malfoys!
“Skulkin’ around Knockturn Alley, I dunno – dodgy place, Harry – don’ want no one tier see yeh down there” Hagrid
Heading back down Candlemaker Row the way you came, you can make a quick trip into Greyfriars Kirkyard. You will pass the entrance on your left just before the bottom of the street.
The graveyard has a creepy feel about it. Was one of the objects at Black Moon Botanical really a port key? Have you been lured to Tom Riddle senior’s grave just like Harry Potter in The Goblet of Fire? The grave of Thomas Riddle can certainly be found here if you look carefully (pass through the Flodden Wall and turn right)
4. Accio Butterbeer
Time for a butterbeer to recover from the graveyard ordeal! Continue your perfect Harry Potter themed day in Edinburgh back on Victoria Street where you are going to visit the Elephant House for some refreshments.
The original Elephant House (where JK Rowling spent time penning the early novels) was damaged in a fire but they have recently opened new premises on Victoria Street and this is a great place to stop on your wizarding shopping spree. They have a great selection of simple lunches (baked potatoes, paninis etc) if you are hungry but a must is a glass of their butterbeer for the true Harry Potter experience (also available for takeaway if you don’t want to stop). While you are in the Elephant House, check out the toilets! I won’t spoil the surprise…
“Harry drank deeply. It was the most delicious thing he had ever tasted and seemed to heat every bit of him from the inside”
5. Double Potions
“Potions lessons took place down in one of the dungeons. It was colder here than up in the main castle and would have been quite creepy enough without the pickled animals floating in glass jars all around the walls”
Harry was never a fan of potions class with Snape but I can guarantee you that you will love the Magic Potions Tavern at the Department of Magic on Blair Street. Entering this underground establishment down a set of dark stone stair sets the scene perfectly and on entering you will feel like you have entered the Leaky Cauldron. There are a great selection of alcoholic and non alcoholic potions which you mix yourself from magical spell sheets. All have quirky magical twists and you cannot go wrong with any of them.
Tip: This activity books up in advance so as soon as you know when you want to have your Harry Potter themed day in Edinburgh, you should book a slot for both potion making and the escape room below.
6. Defeat the Dark Lord
It wouldn’t be a true Harry Potter day if you didn’t have to face He Who Must Not Be Named!
There are 2 escape rooms within the Department of Magic. Both are amazing with captivating theming and storylines. If I had to choose, I would pick Prophecies Quest. This escape room sees you battling the clock to collect powerful dark objects called Prophecies which have been hidden by the Dark Lord. If you succeed, the wizarding world will be protected from destruction. This is such a fun end to a perfect Harry Potter themed day in Edinburgh and an absolute must for all Potter fans. We defeated him with 3 minutes to spare!
The escape rooms are ideal for groups of 2-7 and there is no age limit for children although younger children will need adult help in solving the puzzles.
Note:
I have selected these activities for your perfect Harry Potter themed day in Edinburgh because they are all in close proximity to each other and make for a lovely walking tour. If you happen to be north of Princes Street or can’t get booked in to the Department of Magic, other great options for potion making are:
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- The Potions Cauldron on Rose Street
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- The Cauldron pub on Fredrick Street
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