Harry Potter Filming Locations

A guide to the Harry Potter filming locations

Across all eight films, the Harry Potter series was shot almost entirely in England and Scotland - using a mix of real castles, cathedrals, London streets and sweeping Highland landscapes, alongside the vast sets built at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden near London. Here is a guide to where the wizarding world was really filmed, and which places you can still visit today.

Where is Hogwarts in real life?

There is no single real Hogwarts - the castle was assembled from several genuine buildings plus studio sets and models. Alnwick Castle in Northumberland was used for the earliest broomstick-flying and courtyard scenes, while the interiors drew on England's great cathedrals: Durham Cathedral provided the cloisters and corridors, and Gloucester Cathedral became many of Hogwarts' hallways. The Great Hall was modelled on the dining hall of Christ Church College, Oxford, and Lacock Abbey in Wiltshire stood in for several classrooms.

The London locations

Muggle London runs through the whole series. King's Cross Station is the real home of Platform 9¾ - a luggage trolley is embedded in the wall for photos - while the neighbouring St Pancras provided the grand gothic exterior. Leadenhall Market in the City of London became the entrance to Diagon Alley and the Leaky Cauldron, and the Millennium Bridge was memorably destroyed by Death Eaters in the sixth film. Australia House on the Strand served as the interior of Gringotts Wizarding Bank.

The landscapes: Scotland and the Highlands

The wild scenery of the Scottish Highlands gave the films their epic backdrops. The Glenfinnan Viaduct carries the Hogwarts Express in one of the series' most famous shots, while Glen Coe and the country around Fort William provided the mountains and lochs surrounding Hogwarts. Further south, Virginia Water in Surrey and the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire appear in the later films.

Where the magic was built: Leavesden Studios

Much of the film was created on stages at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden in Hertfordshire, just north of London. The studios are now home to the Warner Bros. Studio Tour London - The Making of Harry Potter, where visitors can walk the original Great Hall set, Diagon Alley and Platform 9¾.

Planning a Harry Potter locations trip

Most of the key sites welcome visitors. Alnwick Castle, the Oxford colleges, the cathedrals of Durham and Gloucester, and the Studio Tour are all open to the public, and many run dedicated Harry Potter experiences. The Highland locations are free to explore, though remote - riding the Jacobite steam train over the Glenfinnan Viaduct is a popular way to recreate the Hogwarts Express journey. Use the interactive map above to plan a route between them.