Search for wizards and magic

J.K. Rowling famously worked on the first Harry Potter novel in the backroom of The Elephant House, which offers a window view of the towering Edinburgh Castle. Now, hundreds of want-to-be wizards flock to this café, crowded with tiny elephant figurines and black-and-white newspaper clippings about Rowling. ‘Thank you for Harry Potter’ messages cover the bathroom stalls, where you can also leave your own graffiti. A block away in Greyfriars Kirkyard, a weathered plaque marks the grave of the real-life Thomas Riddell. The nearby George Heriot’s School has four houses, just like the wizarding school. And take a walk past Balmoral Hotel, where Rowling penned the series’ final words; the suite she stayed at has been renamed after her, displays her signed marble bust of Hermes, and costs around £1,000/night.