On the 20th anniversary of the very first "Harry Potter" book, the national tourist office VisitScotland has put together an itinerary covering the locations which inspired JK Rowling to pen her best-selling series.
The books -- which went on to be films starring a little wizard with round glasses -- were born out of JK Rowling's love of Scotland. The first book in the series, "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone", was published in June 1997. It was written in various cafés in Edinburgh city center.
Unsurprisingly, the trip begins in the Scottish capital. Its medieval architecture transports fans back to a time of witchcraft and wizardry. There are two cafés on the itinerary: Elephant House (where JK Rowling spent hours writing Harry's story, looking up from time to time to contemplate Edinburgh Castle) and Spoon.
The magical tour continues by car or train in the direction of Fort William. On the way, you'll see Rannoch Moor, a vast wilderness where the Death Eaters board the train in the film "Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows: Part 1". This is also an opportunity to visit Glasgow, whose Gothic-style buildings are similar to Hogwarts School.
One of the highlights of the trip is the Jacobite Steam Train which brings the magic atmosphere of the series to life. Starting in Fort William and ending in Mallaig, fans will relive scenes from the films on the Hogwarts Express. The train crosses the Scottish countryside on the West Highland Line.
The trip ends on the fourth day in the Highlands where VisitScotland recommends visiting Steall Falls, a beautiful cascading waterfall featured in "The Goblet of Fire".
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