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Forums: Index > The Wizengamot > Hogwarts Location


Hi Harry Potter Fans,

Please can you help by shining some light on where in the books the location of Hogwarts is confirmed. On here it is dinfed categorically as being in Scotland, but I do not recall this ever being mention in the books. There is no doubt that the amazing highlands where used for filming shots for the movies, including the stunning Glenfinnan Viaduct and the many Lochs and mountains. 

But the list of locations around England used for the movies was extensive, most importantly Goathland Station in Yorkshire, which used for Hogsmeade Station, especially for the closing shot of The Philospher's Stone with Hogwarts clearly towering above in the background.

I have no horse in the race for where Hogwarts is located, whether it is Scotland, England or Hogsmeade, I would just like to know for sure. As if it is never clearly stated in the books, why would it not just be described as being in Great Britain and not the specifics of Scotland. I tweeted JK with success, so if anyone could shed some light on whether JK has every discussed this in an interview, that that would be great (and help settle the debate between my wife and I).

Cheers Boatdrinks (talk) 08:46, January 15, 2016 (UTC)

Rowling has been quoted multiple times on this matter. Here are some examples:
"But a bizarre letter, delivered by an owl (well, aren't they always!?), sets him on the road - no, the railway track - that leads to Hogwarts School of Wizardry and Witchcraft, which Rowling has always imagined is in Scotland."
Johnstone, Anne. "Happy ending, and that's for beginners." The Herald [Glasgow], 24 June 1997
Question: "Is Hogwarts possibly located in Scotland? I am an American and have never been to the United Kingdom, but from reading the first book and going by the train station Harry leaves from and how long the trip takes, I am guessing it may be Scotland? Thank you."
Rowling: "You are absolutely right. If you travel north from King's Cross, you do indeed arrive in Scotland."
Barnes & Noble chat transcript, Barnes&Noble.com, September 8, 1999
"Hogwarts... Logically it had to be set in a secluded place, and pretty soon I settled on Scotland in my mind."
— Fraser, L., An interview with J.K.Rowling, Mammoth, London, 2000. ISBN 0-7497-4394-8. pp 20–21.
That Hogwarts is in Scotland is beyond canonical doubt. In the Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film), though any of this comes from the books, Hermione additionally mentions that Hogwarts is "not far" from Dufftown (and the original script said Achintee). --  Seth Cooper  owl post! 15:17, January 15, 2016 (UTC)
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