The REAL Hogwarts
This is George Heriot’s School. It is widely known as the school that inspired the school Hogwarts in the Harry Potter series. Why is that, well because J.K. Rowling wrote the Harry Potter books in Edinburgh nearby to this school.
Doesn’t it look like a castle? Have a close up:
The school itself was founded in 1628 by George Heriot who left £25,000 in his will for this school to be founded. £25,000 in those days is equivalent to several tens of Millions today. So not a paltry sum. The school opened in 1659 and is even now one of the best schools in the city. Send your kid there and you will ensure they get the education they need to attend a top University (oxford, cambridge etc) AND you ensure your own bankruptcy. I kid, but it is very expensive.
You can kind of see why it inspired Hogwarts can’t you. The school is also right next to Greyfriars Cemetery, which also provided some inspiration for J.K. Rowling’s character names. She got Potter, Cruickshanks, Mcgnagall and a few others from the headstones and memorials in there, including Riddle. 10 years ago a friend and I heard this and decided to look for Riddle.. well long and drunken story short, we found it. Word got round and now everyday (one of my jobs is in greyfriars cemetery) we get asked by tourists where it is. Here’s a photo:
Anyway, Rowling wasn’t the only author to find inspiration in the cemetery. There is another headstone that has “Ebenezer Scrooge, Meal Man” carved on it. It is said Charles Dickens misread the headstone and thought it said “Ebenezer Scrooge, Mean Man” and so came up with the character Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol.
Thanks for Looking.
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It is quite interesting getting to know the existence of that place. Surely many famous authors took from all sort of places and person chunks of the stories that they later turn into bestsellers. What do you think about J.K. and many others not quoting or crediting in any manner the places and people the got inspiration from?
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Thanks! Yes, even charles dickens took inspiration from the cemetery next to this school when he found a gravestone with the name 'ebenezer scroge' on it. And supposedly Mary Shelly was inspired to write Frankenstein after visiting Edinburgh. I think it would be great if authors credited the places that inspired them, but in a way its probably for the best they don't. Once people found out about jk rowling's inspiration the graveyard and school got hammered with tourists and the place has suffered damage from all the visitors. So I guess I have mixed feelings about it.
Thanks @pixresteemer :)
Oh wow that's a sweet looking place for sure, you don't see buildings like that every day that for sure. Be well my man.
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Thanks! Yes, Its a very unique place!