Harry Potter, Hikes & Edinburgh, Scotland: Johnson Summer Trip Part 2

Bryan & Katie
Aug 18, 2025
12 min read

After a few days in the Scottish Highlands, it's time to continue this journey south! Katie and I are going to team this blog post, so when you see writing like this, you will know it's Katie. When it's plain like this, it's me (Bryan).

Saturday, August 2: Harry Potter Filming Locations

This morning came early with a 5:45 am departure. Today we are making a 3-hour journey to the Glenfinnan Viaduct, and we wanted to be there by 9:00 am to try and beat some crowds and find parking. Fortunately, the sun woke up before us and treated us to an amazing sunrise.

The whole gang agreed this is one of the BEST AirBnBs we have ever stayed in. The cozy cottage set alongside stunning landscapes can't be beat- and then throw in the lovely BBQ hut, my new BFF Red (and her other chicken-friends who I fed each morning), and a wood-burning hot tub- I mean, it really can't be beat!

While Bryan drove everywhere, my job was to keep the Google Maps working and to snap photos along the drive. Seeing those narrow streets, I think I had the better of the two jobs, for sure!

Glenfinnan Viaduct

We arrived at the Glenfinnan Viaduct around 9 am, and good thing we did, too. The tiny visitors' parking lot was full just a few minutes after our arrival. You may be asking, "What is the Glenfinnan Viaduct, and why were you so hellbent on getting there at 9 am?!?" Well...for the Harry Potter fans out there, the Glenfinnan Viaduct is the super picturesque stone bridge that the Hogwarts Express travels on in the film series. The train leaves from the nearby town of Fort William at 9:30 am and travels over the bridge around 10 am!

You may also be asking yourself, "Why didn't you just ride the train?" Great question!

A) We wouldn't have these stunning photos, and

B) it costs £80 a person to ride one way, and then you have to figure out how to get from one town to another without many public transit options.

Instead, we saved a ton of money, got the famous pic for $8 total in parking fees, and climbed the muddy hill for the perfect viewpoint! Bam! Travel on a budget!

While the rest of us enjoyed the serene walk to the famous bridge, Bryan was antsy to get up there quickly and find the perfect spot." The man was a little fearful that the train was going to come 45 minutes early, and we were going to miss it! Jennifer, Kevin, and I did get a little chuckle watching Bryan get so giddy for this experience!

And seeing that famous train go by was really worth the wait! It's almost like we were there filming the OG scenes in 2001:

Eilean na Mòine

The Harry Potter adventure continues, as we made the short trip west to Eilean na Moine, aka, Dumbledore's Grave. Did we have to walk through about 4 inches of thick mud to get to the edge of the loch? Yes. Was it worth it for the picture? Also yes!

(If you can't tell, this was the one day of the trip that Bryan did the trip-planning for! This man LIVES for HP and is still waiting for his own letter to Hogwarts to arrive!)

Clachaig Inn

After some morning explorations, it was time for lunch! We made the one-hour journey south to Glen Coe to visit the Clachaig Inn. Nestled in the middle of nowhere on a narrow road, this inn housed the cast and crew of Harry Potter when they filmed scenes in the local area. The four of us had some great sandwiches and peanut butter brownies for dessert. With the great autumn-esque weather in Scotland, Mom felt it was appropriate to order a pumpkin spice latte. Of course, I had to take a sip (I love PSLs), so enjoy the photos below of my emotional reaction to my first PSL of the year!

Hagrid's Hut

Just a short walk up a hill from the Clachaig Inn was the filming location for Hagrid's Hut. I guess when you rent out the Inn down below for the cast and crew to stay, it's convenient to film scenes less than a 10-minute walk away! Although the hut was no longer there, we joined other HP fans in enjoying the stunning backdrop!

If I'm being honest, I found this setting underwhelming. While there was a small sign at the bottom of the hill stating this was the site used for "Hagrid's Hut," it did seem more like an open field overgrown with foliage nowadays. Thanks to another tourist who brought a photo from the movie with him, we were able to scout out the exact site. Otherwise, we would have been SOL!

Glencoe Viewpoint

As we made the journey south, we reached the edge of the Scottish Highlands at Glencoe. This viewpoint really showcases the steep mountains alongside green valleys that this area is famous for. The sun even came out for us to enjoy a short hike through this area.

Like I've said before, I'll just let the pictures speak for themselves. The great thing about this trip is that we didn't have a lot planned, so we could just sit and marvel.

Three Sisters Viewpoint

Again, we were treated to stunning views as we made our way back to Fort William. Dad even brought out his creative side with artsy photos of the landscapes.

Black Isle Bar Fort William

After spending a ton of today in the car, it was finally time to wind down. We enjoyed pizza and beer in downtown Fort William at Black Isle Bar! Together with Mom and Dad, the four of us split two pizzas and some beer before making our way to our hotel for the night.

Ben Nevis Inn

For our lodging tonight, we stayed at the Ben Nevis Inn, at the foot of the tallest mountain in the British Isles, bearing the name, you guessed it...Ben Nevis. Not really the grandest of accommodations, this bunkhouse left a bit to be desired with the unemptied bathroom trash can and open food left in the kitchenette.

While not my best hotel booking, the bunk beds did host a "vibe." Jennifer and Kevin also scared us with their talk of bedbugs from their Portugal hiking days last summer...luckily for us the beds were clean and the table was a perfect spot for a late night of card games before bed!

Sunday, August 3: Wallace Monument & Purse Making

Fortunately, everyone slept well and woke up bedbug-free, so we were ready to make the long haul to Edinburgh!

The Wildcat

But before we get back in the car for another day of driving, we started the day with Black Forest pancakes, potato and cheddar soup, and coffee at The Wildcat! When we walked in, the restaurant was PACKED! Lucky for us, I snagged a cute little sitting nook where we got to eat like the Japanese- without our shoes on and sitting on poofs with our legs criss-crossed!

The National Wallace Monument

En route to Edinburgh, we made a pitstop at the National Wallace Monument, an elaborate Victorian stone tower commemorating Scottish hero William Wallace. William Wallace was a Scottish knight in the 13th Century and one of the military leaders during the First War of Scottish Independence. He led a major victory against the English army at the Battle of Stirling Bridge in 1297; although largely outnumbered, the Scottish resistance was able to defeat the English.

The Wallace Monument was completed in 1869, during the reign of Queen Victoria, after a large fundraising campaign accompanied by a resurgence in Scottish National Identity. The monument was erected on the hilltop above the site of the Battle of Stirling Bridge.

The monument offers a free shuttle to the top of the hill, but after all our time in the car, we figured a good walk would help us stretch our legs! Along the climb, I found a carving of my beloved Esmerelda and Heather coos, while the OG Johnsons posed for other pictures at my demands!

At the top of the hill, we enjoyed stunning views of the monument and the town below. We even lucked out with a short talk by a costumed staff member!

The Bean Tin

Before hitting the road for our one-hour trip to Edinburgh, we grabbed a coffee at The Bean Tin, a coffee shop set inside a repurposed shipping container.

As we continued our drive towards Edinburgh, we passed by these giant metal horse statues. The Kelpies are 30-meter-tall sculptures of horse heads in a passive modern park right along the side of the highway! (Dad did good snapping photos as we drove by!)

hub by Premier Inn Edinburgh City Centre (Rose Street) hotel

Since our hotel is on a pedestrian-only street, I dropped Katie and Mom at a nearby bus stop to check us into our hotel. We were starting to reach crunch time since we only had about 20 minutes remaining until our car was due at the Edinburgh Budget!

Budget Car Hire - Edinburgh

Katie, being the super planner that she is, had the exact location of the Budget Rental Car return pinned. Unfortunately, it was inside a parking garage, and there was absolutely no signage indicating where the rental car returns were located.

After driving in circles on numerous levels, I finally found out where the Budget was located via a Google Review comment. After parking the car in a Budget spot, Dad and I found no employees or any other signs of human life, so we dropped the key in the Budget box, hoping that would suffice.

Islander Edinburgh Workshop - The Arches

While Bryan and Kevin were circling a parking garage, Jennifer and I were building purses! That's right, the boys had the boring job of dropping off the car while us girls went to the Islander Workshop class at 5 pm to build custom backpack purses.

We started by picking out our materials- Jennifer went with a hot pink tweed pattern, while I chose a neutral cream and green Harris Tweed design. Then we chose our leather bag color, the top leather handle, and finally the front leather straps.

With all materials in hand, the workshop teacher walked us through the process of building our bags! Within an hour, we each had a handmade, personally designed back-to-work bag! I don't think either of us are ready to return to work quite yet, but at least we will do so with style!

Doctors

After Katie and Mom's bag-making class, Dad and I met them at Doctors for a few pints (we deserve it after the rental car debacle!) While playing cards and enjoying a few drinks, we also shared classic steak pies and sticky toffee pudding for dessert.

Royal Mile

After dinner, we made our way over to the Royal Mile for our evening tour. The Royal Mile constitutes a one-mile stretch of road between Edinburgh Castle and Holyrood Palace, two royal residences. This road runs through the heart of old town and is packed with shops, restaurants, and attractions.

World Famous Underground Ghost Tour

Katie and I have had a good history with ghost tours, having done them in Philadelphia in 2019, Nashville in 2020, and Dublin in 2023. Ghost tours are a fun, spooky way to learn some local history and legends. At 9 pm, we were introduced to our guide, who fittingly was dressed as a graveyard nightwatchman; he led us through numerous "closes" (tight alleyways connecting major streets), while sharing spooky stories of witchcraft and murder.

Greyfriars Kirkyard Cemetery

Our first main attraction of the evening was the Greyfriars Kirkyard Cemetery. The cemetery is allegedly filled with stories of graverobbers, ghosts, and poltergeists, but the real reason I'm excited to visit is...you guessed it: it's association with Harry Potter (NERD ALERT!)

It's well-known that J.K. Rowling wrote most of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone while living in Edinburgh, but a lesser-known fact is that many of the character names come from gravestones in this exact graveyard. Within the gates of the cemetery are headstones bearing the names of Thomas Riddell (Tom Riddle, aka Lord Voldemort), William McGonagall (Professor Minerva McGonagall), Elizabeth Moodie (Professor "Mad-Eye" Moody), and Robert Potter (a bit of a stretch since Potter's a fairly common last name, but I'll just say it inspired the name for Harry!)

South Bridge Vaults

The spookiest stop of the evening was the South Bridge Vaults. These "vaults" are actually underground apartments! We learned that these apartments were originally built on the ground level, but were covered by a bridge (now South Bridge Street) and are buried 15 feet underground. It was interesting to learn that as Edinburgh continued to grow, rather than growing out via urban sprawl, it just built on top of itself. These underground vaults were dark, damp, and definitely added to the spookiness of the evening, and were a great final stop of the walking tour.

After a packed day that started with Harry Potter and ended with more Harry Potter, it was finally time for bed!

Monday, August 4: Edinburgh

After a good night's rest, everyone was up and moving by 9 am, ready for a good meal!

Braw Brunch

The nearly 20-minute walk from our hotel to Braw Brunch was well worth it; the blueberry pancakes and Katie's feta, pesto, and sun-dried tomato toasted sandwich absolutely smacked.

I'm drooling just thinking of that sandwich right now.

Edinburgh Castle

As we walked towards the center of town, we came across the TikTok-recommended Vennel Viewpoint of Edinburgh Castle. Most of the time when we find something via social media influence, it's typically overcrowded and overhyped, but this viewpoint was definitely a great, secluded spot for photos of the castle! Thanks, TikTok!

Greyfriars Bobby Statue

While planning for the trip, I found this highly-rated free walking tour of Edinburgh, where the guide brings his dog to accompany the group! I mean, how cute is that!?! Well, 15 minutes before our walking tour was to begin, the guide canceled because the public parks were closed due to poor weather conditions. Our group was disappointed as we were standing outside in the sunny, upper 60s temperatures, wondering, "Where is this poor weather?" I mean, it was a little windy, but COME ON!!!

So, last-minute, Katie booked a different free walking tour for us to partake. Although the walking tour was largely forgettable, the most interesting part was the story of Greyfriars Bobby outside of the Greyfriars Cemetery!

Bobby was a Skye Terrier owned by John Gray, a nightwatchman at the Greyfriars Kirkyard. When John Gray died of tuberculosis in 1858, Bobby spent the next 14 years refusing to leave his owner's graveside within the cemetery. In 1867, a new city ordinance required all dogs to be registered, but the Lord Provost of the city was so moved by Bobby's devotion, he presented him with a special licensing collar so that he could continue to visit John's grave. Bobby passed away in 1872 at the age of 16 and was buried just outside the gate of the cemetery to be close to his beloved owner. Now, it's a tradition to rub the nose of Bobby's statue outside of Greyfriars Kirkyard.

Also, peep that nameplate we spotted on our walking tour- Cruickshank is the name of Hermione's cat (Crookshanks) in the Harry Potter series! Surely it's another name inspo!

Biddy Mulligans

Following our walking tour, everyone felt like it was time for a mid-afternoon snack, so Biddy Mulligans answered our call with some good pub snacks and drinks.

Victoria Street

Victoria Street is a beautiful cobblestone street renowned for its colorful facades, but again (Harry Potter alert!), I know it because it inspired J.K. Rowling's ideas for Diagon Alley!

The Elephant House

Right in the heart of Victoria Street is The Elephant House, aka the birthplace of Harry Potter. Although not the original location (the original, located on the George IV Bridge, burned down in 2021), The Elephant House is famous for being a frequented cafe for J.K. Rowling while she was writing Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

The four of us enjoyed a drink in The Elephant House, hopefully to gain some creative inspiration like Rowling did nearly 30 years ago! The original desk that Rowling used was salvaged after the fire and placed inside the cafe; I was sure to write a message inside the guest book before we left!

The Scotch Whisky Experience

No trip to Scotland would be complete without tasting some Scotch. Very similar to Katie and I's Irish Whiskey experience in Dublin back in 2023, we got a behind-the-scenes look at what makes Scotch whisky unique. The Scotch Whisky Experience is also home to the largest private collection of Scotch in the world. At the end of the tour, we got to sample five different single malt and blended Scotch whiskies.

I can honestly say, I don't see any of us becoming Scotch drinkers anytime soon. Jennifer and Kevin barely touched their tastings, while Bryan and I quickly shot back our final sips of each! But hey, when in Scotland, you drink like the Scottish!

Bariuma Ramen

Following an afternoon of drinking, everyone was getting quite hungry! Katie and I always make it a point to eat ethnic food when traveling, especially since the diversity of the cuisine in our small Spanish town is very limited.

For dinner, we wanted to share our love for Japanese cuisine with Mom and Dad, so we enjoyed some ramen at Bariuma Ramen! It definitely hit the Johnsons' cravings, and Mom and Dad got to eat some of our favorite food!

The Alchemist George Street

With the night still young, everyone decided they were down for one more drink and a game of cards. Katie and Mom found a fun cocktail bar called The Alchemist, where spirits meet science experiments. The drinks were expensive, but you're paying for the show and the interactive drinks.

It's easier just to show you what I mean by "science experiments," so check out the video below!

After our evening drink, it was time to call it for the night! Our flight to Belfast, Northern Ireland, leaves at 7 am, so it's going to be an early morning.

While we've been gone, the pups have been pampered by the best Spanish dog sitter, Jessi! It makes being away much easier knowing that they are well cared for in our absence.