You are one step away from joining a magical adventure! If you are fans of the wonderful world of Harry Potter, then you’ll love this Harry Potter & Alnwick Castle Tour of Scotland from Bye by Car. If you have any questions about this tour of Scotland, please feel free to get in touch.
Visit where some of the most famous scenes were filmed in the Harry Potter universe! In a little more than a week on this road trip around Scotland, you will discover the parts of the Scottish Highlands and the north of England that inspired JK Rowling’s international literary sensation.
Take a walk among the Alnwick Castle walls, jump aboard the famous Hogwarts Express train, visit the Hagrid’s shack, or set sail on a boat on Loch Ness in search of the famous Nessie. This Scotland self-drive itinerary is packed with experiences that will delight parents as well as children. If you’re still looking for the perfect trip, take a look at our Self-Guided Tours of Scotland. You might also like to consider our Self-Guided Tours of Scotland and England.
Whatever you do on this Harry Potter tour of Scotland, don’t forget to bring your wand and take your ticket for the Hogwarts Express. Enjoy this extraordinary adventure – we await you on platform 9¾!
We recommend getting the day off to a good start with breakfast at The Elephant House, the cafe where it is believed that JK Rowling wrote the first Harry Potter adventures. From inside you will have unique views of the Cemetery of Greyfriars, some of whose tombs inspired the characters that appear in the books. Then afterwards whilst walking along Princes Street do not miss the imposing Balmoral Hotel where JK Rowling finished writing Harry Potter and the Relics of the Death in one the hotel rooms. To end the day we suggest you take a walk around the Bohemian district of Dean Village. A tip: do not forget to walk through the medieval closes or alleys of the city looking for your magic wand before setting out on the road tomorrow.
The road trip starts for real today. Finally the day has come to pick up your hired car and take to the road. Heading south, today you will tour the south of Scotland to the magnificent Alnwick Castle. The second largest inhabited castle in England, just behind. Windsor Castle, is located in the heart of the Northern English countryside. Many films and TV series have been shot within it’s walls e.g. Robin Hood Prince of Thieves, Elizabeth, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone or Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Enjoy a wonderful day visiting the castle, making a picnic in the meadow or learning to fly on a broom.
During your first day in the Highlands you will discover some of the most spectacular landscapes that appear in the Harry Potter films. Your first stop of the day is Doune Castle which lies at the gateway to the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park. This fortress served as the inspiration for the castle of the Stark House (Winterfell) in the series of Game of Thrones. Next, you will visit the natural landscapes of Rannoch Moor, Loch Etive and Glencoe,. Here lies the beautiful Torren Lagoon where Hagrid’s House was built and filmed. At Glenfinnan you can walk under the viaduct that you will cross tomorrow with the Harry Potter Steam Train. Tonight you will sleep in Fort William, a little town nestled on the edge of a lake or ‘loch’ as they say in Scotland.
Today we highly recommend boarding the legendary “Hogwarts Express”, the famous train that takes children magicians up to Hogwarts school in the Harry Potter films. In reality we are referring to the “Jacobite Steam Train”, a beautifully restored 19th century train that runs through some of the most beautiful parts of the west coast of Scotland. Considered one of the World’s best train journeys, during the 135 km route you will cross some of the most charming spots of the Highlands including Ben Nevis, Arisaig, Loch Morar and Mallaig. All aboard! Upon returning to Fort William we suggest taking a short walk through the valley of the Steall Falls which were used as the setting for the Quidditch championships in Harry Potter.
Today the route continues further north into the Scottish Highlands. The first stop on the road is the beautiful Loch Arkaig, the setting for the tomb of Professor Dumbledore. This location also appears in the second part of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, during the flight from the Dragon. Next you will discover the many settings around the famous Loch Ness, from the picturesque village of Fort Augustus, where you can see the locks of the Caledonian Canal, to the dramatic ruins of Castle Urquhart. Will you lucky to see the famous Nessie today? The elusive and mysterious monster rests in the depths of the Scotland’s second deepest loch. Today you will spend the night in Inverness, the capital of the Highlands.
During today’s journey you will enter the wonderful Cairngorms National Park. Known for it’s flora and fauna, centuries-old forests and snow topped mountains during most of the year. A perfect plan for the whole family is to take a walk into the park and surround yourself with nature. In particular we recommend a walk along the banks of Loch an Eilein, a lake with an island inside that contains the ruins of a mysterious castle. Travelling south we suggest stopping off in Pitlochry, a picturesque town, built in the Victorian era then further on is the majestic Dunkeld Cathedral on the banks of the river Tay. Back on the road, the majestic steel bridge of the Forth Rail Bridge will indicate you that you will soon be returning to Edinburgh.
Return flight.
