Have you ever tried being a tourist in your own city? Tourists (when not being lost) are usually getting to explore and discover those special things about a place that sometimes get lost when you're a local who passes by them everyday.
I got to be a tourist in my city which was definitely one of the best days that I've had in a long time. My mum and I went on what I like to call the Harry Potter Tour of Edinburgh!
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For those of you who don't know, all those years ago when Harry Potter was a couple of scribbles on some paper, J.K. Rowling lived (and still does live) in Edinburgh and took a lot of her inspiration from the magical city around her. Writing in cafes she created the first couple of novels and as the popularity grew, she eventually finished the final stories in a £1000 a night hotel suite.
The first stop on our Harry Potter tour was a stroll around Victoria Street and Candlemakers Row at the Grassmarket. These small winding cobbled streets were the inspiration for Diagon Alley! The magical streets are narrow and filled with a cobbled road and old buildings that you can just imagine tapping with a wand and finding a whole new alleyway behind.
There are plenty of great stores to visit on your way down the streets; a knick knack shop that is filled with Harry Potter merchandise called Diagon House, a wonderful store filled with witty t-shirts, a joke shop (that might remind your of some twins opening their own in Diagon Alley) and then a cute little pastry shop near the bottom.
After a little wander down these streets we wandered through the Grassmarket Saturday Market. This happens every Saturday as does the one in Leith, with another market in Stockbridge on a Sunday. They are great little markets to wander around and some of the food that you can find there is amazing! We had some cinnamon and date scones, corn bread and golden plums all at great prices and fresh from the stalls.
After wandering back up Candlemakers Row we carried on our Harry Potter tour checking out Greyfriars Kirk. Now as strange as it sounds, I really enjoy visiting this area of Edinburgh. The story of Greyfriars Bobby is one that you have to love and the Kirk is worth a visit just for this alone. Of course the massive gravestones and engravings are a work of art in themselves to look at - but did you know that J.K. Rowling got some of her inspiration from those gravestones? You have to keep your eyes out for William McGonagall (inspiration for Professor McGonagall perhaps) and of course the infamous Tom Riddle (Thomas Riddle) gravestone that inspired the creation of Voldemort.
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After all of this wandering we were in need of a little tea break and where better to go than to The Elephant House. Found on the George IV bridge, this little cafe was one of the favourite writing spots of Rowling whilst writing the first books. The decor inside is wonderfully rustic and naturally filled with Elephant's. We got ourselves a little seat on a couch by the fireplace with a hot chocolate and a slice of their peaches and cream cake. I can honestly say that this place is a great cafe and isn't just hyped up for it's Harry Potter fame.
To finish off our little Harry Potter tour we wandered over to the brand new store Galaxy on the South Bridge which has a lot of different Harry Potter merchandise. I could spend my whole paycheck in this one shop - the big pictures, the doormats, the notebooks, the mugs and of course the wands!
It's worth a visit if you're a Harry Potter fan, Marvel fan or Star Wars fan as they have merchandise for all three franchises.
Our playing tourist day ended with the museum - not Harry Potter related but still a great place to go. With free entry and floors upon floors of great exhibits, you could easily get lost in the museum for hours.
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There are plenty of more places to visit in Edinburgh related to the Harry Potter books! Here's some more for you if you want a full Harry Potter tour of the city.
- Edinburgh City Chambers - Here you'll find the famous writers hand prints immortalised in bronze on the ground.
- Cramond Beach - The most recent home of the writer; this is where you can find her when she's at home.
- The Writer's Museum - Being a writer's museum you can only imagine what treasures are lurking behind the stone walls.
- George Herriot's School - The old building is said to be the inspiration for Hogwarts.
- The Balmoral Hotel - The £1000 suite where Rowling completed her series? Well that would be at the Balmoral Hotel on Princes Street.
Sometimes being a tourist can be great fun. When you have a day off and don't know what to do, instead of just doing the same old thing why not research your city and see what it's famous for? You never know what you can discover right under your nose.
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