HOGWARTS AND ALL

From misty glens to cobbled streets and castles, Scotland is rich with Harry Potter lore. Mike MacEacheran visits the locations that inspired and starred in the wizarding world

-  Mike MacEacheran

At the foot of Ben Nevis - amid enchanting pine forests and waterfalls bathed in silvery light - is somewhere so magical, it's where Harry Potter once fought a dragon. Steeply pitched Glen Nevis, which is within easy reach of lochside town Fort William, is a major stop for hikers, climbers and bikers seeking adventure in the Highlands’ outdoor capital.

These days, however, it’s an equally popular spot for visitors with a different reason for coming. It was here, beside the thunderous, 120m-high Steall Falls, that the world’s most famous boy wizard once defeated a Hungarian Horntail – or “a right nasty piece of work”, as half-giant gamekeeper Hagrid put it.

Yes, Harry Potter came to Glen Nevis and, ever since, the area has been one of many set-jetting stops in the West Highlands, where fans can see where the books were brought to life. There are several such magical places and the best time to visit them? Harry Potter Day on 2 May, of course, the annual homage and celebration when all Potter fans unite.

Despite years passing since the last film and book in the series, Harry Potter remains big news. HBO has announced a whopping great decade-long, seven-series adaptation of JK Rowling’s saga, with filming due to begin this autumn.

Universal is also betting big on its fourth Florida theme park, Universal Epic Universe, by debuting a whole new whizz-bang, Potter-themed land: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic, opening on 22 May. And the Harry Potter and the Cursed Child play continues to break records and launch new productions (the latest being in Brazil and the Netherlands). So, what better way to relive the original magic than by returning to the franchise’s roots to see where the Harry Potter universe was born?