It’s not an exaggeration to say that my love of the Harry Potter series has changed my life.

WAIT!

Before you flee from my geekiness, stay with me.

One of the best things about a mild (moderate? severe?) obsession with a novel set in some of the most beautiful places in the United Kingdom is a built-in excuse to travel to said places and explore the fandom sites and the cultural aspects.

And British beer is a worthwhile bonus.

However, I realize that the Boy-Who-Lived is not everyone’s cup of pumpkin juice, so included with the obvious reasons that Harry Potter fans would pilgrimage to the following sites, I hope you will also be inspired to check them out on their own historical merits. They are worth your ticket, even if you’re a Muggle.  (Except, maybe, #9 3/4).

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1: Glenfinnan Viaduct, Scotland

For HP fans: ummmmmm…. it’s the “Harry Potter Bridge”! This concrete wonder appears in Chamber of Secrets;  where preteen Harry and Ron over-act as they attempt to follow the Hogwarts express, barrel-rolling in their flying Ford Anglia.

It also becomes immediately apparent that Harry uses his summer to master one of the most difficult bodyweight exercises: the one-armed pull-up, as he hoists himself up into the swaying car using only his sweaty, 12-year-old, left hand. Take the short hike up the Glenfinnan Viaduct trail (wait 45 minutes in the rain, as we did) and check the schedule for the Jacobite Steam train to watch it chug across the curved span—next stop Hogwarts!

For Muggles: If you appreciate concrete in large quantities, the Glenfinnan viaduct does not disappoint. For superlatives’ sake: it was the first in the world made only of concrete, which was an “unusual” construction material for 1897. If you like numbers, it includes 21 arches, the highest of which are 100 feet, (but feel taller as you walk amongst them). 

Don’t you love the word amongst?

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2: Loch Shiel, Glenfinnan Scotland

For HP fans: Loch Shiel is the backdrop for the Black Lake during Goblet of Fire’s Triwizard Tournament. When (fake) Mad-Eye Moody pushes (real) Harry into the lake gagging on a mouthful of (fake) gillyweed, presumably it is the waters of (real) Loch Shiel that Harry inhales up his nose (although more likely than not it’s just a wet-set tank on some studio floor). However, the lake is the setting for the digitally added Triwizard towers. Can’t you see them? Just there, in the middle, with Fleur Delacour flaunting her fabulous French accent?

For Muggles: Loch Shiel is also the location of the rising of the Standard of Prince Charles Edward Stuart (aka Bonnie Prince Charlie) in 1745, which marked the beginning of the Jacobite rebellion.  Britain played the role of villain here, where the “Young Pretender” attempted to regain the British throne, eventually culminating in the Battle of Culloden. (Outlander fans? Anyone? Anyone?) This slaughter on the moor essentially destroyed the military power of the Highland clans and the Jacobites. 

But at least the monument gives a nice view.

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3: Lacock Abbey, England

For HP fans: The hallowed halls of Hogwarts! Visit Lacock Abbey to tour the interior of Hogwarts (in the first two films), and swing by Quirrell’s (The Warming Room) and Snape’s (The Sacristy room) classrooms. The Abbey was seen most prominently in The Sorcerer’s Stone and The Chamber of Secrets…and you could swear there is a basilisk lurking just around the corner. Bring your mirror. Plus I’m pretty sure Ron barfed slugs all over that lawn, so you know, there’s that.

For Muggles: Founded in 1232, that makes the Abbey older than everything in America by a whole lot, so go be humbled. Plus, it was once a nunnery, home to 25 nuns, before Henry VIII’s Dissolution of the Monasteries Act in 1536 led to, well, the…dissolution of the monasteries (hence the name). It was then turned into a country house, where is it was promptly stripped of its resources—because who doesn’t need more lead in their day?— and its monasteries were disassembled to construct a Tudor mansion and tower.

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4: Lacock Village, England

For HP fans: The Potter’s house (pre-Voldemort) is at the end of a nondescript side street, (where I met a cat and squealed with fangirl-glee that it was obviously the Potter’s pet cat). Slughorn’s hideaway is the attraction of the village for HP fans. Slughorn’s appropriation of some poor unsuspecting Muggles’ home (the owners of this place are on holiday in the Canary Islands!) can be forgiven when you see the stately home surrounded by high hedges.

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For Muggles: This 13th-century picture-postcard is a quaint, planned medieval town that is in the safekeeping and care of the National Trust (yep, a whole town!) It is home to the Lacock Abbey, the home of William Fox Talbot, (photography pioneer), and my favorite, Coco Chemistry; a fabulous and cozy little chocolate shop where I may have eaten a pound of chocolate on our visit. Also, if you have multiple fandoms because you’re as cool as I am, the hod market scene from Downton Abbey was filmed here.

See? I told you, I’m super-cool.

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5: Victoria Street, Edinburgh Scotland

For HP Fans: Looking for “bit and bobs for doing your wizardry?” This unique and boutique (oooh rhyming!) Grassmarket shopping destination was the supposed inspiration for Diagon Alley. It certainly feels magical; with its rainbow of storefronts, winding, cobbled lanes, and teeny-tiny staircases up to the second tier of shops; I can imagine Fred & George’s wildfire whizbangs taking over the street, and there are treasures and wonders around every corner.

For Muggles: This charming, curved lane dates back to 1824, and was originally called Bow Street until Queen Victoria put her stamp all over that— and thus it became— Victoria Street. It’s a must-visit for any discerning shopper, filled with jewel-colored independent storefronts that sell everything from cheese to art prints to antique books. If for no other reason, head up one of the hidden staircases to the Castle Arms Pub on the terrace overlooking the street, check out the awesome map of Scotland painted on the ceiling, and grab a pint (or two, or three; I mean, you’re probably on holiday, right?) In a world overrun with Olive Gardens and Walmarts, Victoria Street offers original, old-world charm. Boy, that almost sounds like a brochure.

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6: Balmoral Hotel, Edinburgh Scotland

For HP Fans: Ohmigod, ohmigod, ohmigod, this is the moment where “All was well” became Harry’s reality, as J.K. Rowling penned the final words of the final book that made authors as famous as rock stars, changed children’s literature, and rather melodramatically, my life. Room 552, the JK Rowling suite where the magic happened, can be your cupboard-under-the-stairs for a cool $1500/night. Or just take a picture, for, you know, free.

For Muggles: Book an afternoon tea at the Palm Court that is so decadent I promise that you won’t need dinner —or breakfast— the next day. Surrounded by palm trees, (indoors, in Scotland), and hand-painted De Gournay wallpaper of Edinburgh landscapes, you can choose from a multi-page menu of more than 20 teas, optional champagne (but who are you that you would not opt for champagne?) an amuse-bouche (French for “food-before-your-food”), adorably dainty sandwiches, scones-jam-clotted-cream, and then, if you aren’t rolling out of your chair, a dessert course as well. If you can’t make it to afternoon tea, at least visit the ladies’ room, because how often do you get to wash in a chintz patterned sink with a gold faucet?

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7: Millenium Bridge, London England

For HP Fans: In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the Muggle Prime Minister laments the destruction of the decade-old Brockdale Bridge; believing it is caused by “rusted rigging and corroded expansion joints!” and not the havoc being created in the Muggle world by the return of Voldy and his Death Eater pals. While the Brockdale is a fictional bridge, the London Millennium Footbridge is the picturesque stand-in of the theatrical version. While it sways and snaps on the unsuspecting Muggles as the Death Eaters terrorize London; in real life, you can wobble across all 1066 feet of it while watching the skies for Fenrir Greyback and the telltale black trails that indicate the dark side is coming. Are you a death eater or a good guy? Wait, let me see your chemtrails. FYI: People get mad at you if you stop dead right in front of them to take a selfie.  Fair warning.

For Muggles: The “Wobbly bridge” is one of the most dramatic bridges across the Thames, and was originally called wobbly because of the “Synchronous Lateral Excitation”. What is that, you are dying to know?  This is a phenomenon that is caused when people’s steps create small sideways movements in the bridge, which in turn cause people to adjust their walk to that sway, which, in turn, increases the sideways movement. Basically, the wobble causes people to adjust their steps, which causes the bridge to wobble even more. So, that’s your physics 101 lesson of the day. Science.

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8: Greyfriars Kirkyard, Edinburgh Scotland

For HP Fans: Greyfriars is the 16th-century cemetery that inspired several favorite wizarding namesakes. We didn’t take a picture of any of them, of course. The obvious inspiration for our favorite transfiguration professor, poet William McGonagall, (reportedly, the worst poet in British history, who died penniless in 1902 and wasn’t even granted a headstone until 1999) is in Greyfriars. Elizabeth Moodie, although an “ie” and not a “y”, may have inspired ex-Auror and Ministry malcontent, MadEye Moody. Margaret Louisa Scrymgeour Wedderburn was born in 1794 (presumably before late PM Rufus Scrimgeour). And of course, Thomas Riddell Esq., a military general who died at 72, was blissfully unaware that his name would become synonymous with evil incarnate and the soul-splitting, Horcrux-hoarding dark lord of the wizarding world.

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Plus, the Elephant House Cafe nearby is where JK Rowling is rumored to have begun the early exploration of her magical world.  And they have proof on. thewalls. And haggis.

Lots of JK love in the area.

For Muggles: The appeal of the graveyard is that it’s the final resting place of Greyfriar’s Bobby, the adorable watchdog and faithful companion of John Gray, night watchman on the Edinburgh Police force in the 1850s. (We did take a photo of his gravestone, but I really think that Bobby is cuter.) When John died of tuberculosis in 1858, Bobby refused to leave his master’s grave and guarded it for 14 years until his own passing in 1872.  There is the sweetest little statue dedicated to Bobby just outside the churchyard.

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9: Warner Bros. Studio Tour, England

For HP Fans: Okay, admittedly, there is very little here for the Muggles, but I cannot resist the opportunity to share —squeeeeee!— the awesomeness that is the Deluxe VIP tour.  Some of the perks include a private photo op in front of the Great Hall doors, guided tours through the exhibits (where the guides can handle props, so you can get an up-close and detailed look), a roped-off dining area (that felt weird with only the two of us), free Butterbeer in a souvenir cup, video and professional photos riding brooms and driving the Weasley’s flying Ford Anglia, and a glossy souvenir guidebook full of movie trivia. DOOO it.

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3/4: The Harry Potter Shop at Platform 9 3/4: Kings Cross Station, London England

For HP Fans: You can have your photo taken in a house scarf of your choice as you attempt to disappear through the barrier on your way to the Hogwarts Express.  They encourage you to be as ridiculous as you can and jump as if you are being pulled along by a portkey. You can also spend all of your galleons in the Harry Potter Shop just next door from the trolley-in-the-wall.

For Muggles:  Step into the shop and buy yourself a copy of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. Spend some time with the series.  It has lessons on love, life, betrayal, friendship, courage, honor, loyalty, and family.