“October arrived, spreading a damp chill over the grounds and into the castle. Raindrops the size of bullets thundered on the castle windows for days on end; the flower beds turned into muddy streams, and Hagrid’s pumpkins swelled to the size of garden sheds.”
—J.K. Rowling
Edinburgh has been on my bucket list for years; the diehard Harry Potter fan in me geeked out over all of the literary connections. On the way home from Berlin, I decided last minute to stop in the magical city where J.K. Rowling spent so much of her time. Sorry Mom!
Edinburgh was nothing short of spectacular, especially during fall. The chill in the air along a gray sky, the abundance of plaid, the hearty, warm meals, and the eerie stone architecture with neighboring graveyards is enough to make any Harry Potter enthusiast shudder with excitement. Fueled with a rich culture and a vivid history, Edinburgh is not only my favorite October destination, but also an ideal destination for student travel.
Accommodations
Located at the very top of what feels like the tallest hill in Scotland, sits my absolute favorite place to stay in Edinburgh: Castle Rock Hostel. Castle Rock is as charming as it is cozy with enough amenities 
to make you feel right at home. Walls and corridors are adorned with art, while the various lounges offer nomadic camaraderie, hot chocolate, and a crackling fireplace—perfect for fall in Edinburgh.
But perhaps my favorite part of Castle Rock Hostel lies in its name. Castle Rock sits directly across the street from Edinburgh Castle, the supposed inspiration behind Hogwarts. The views are both stunning and mysterious as day and night provide two different, magical vibes.
Castle Rock Hostel is also ideal for student group travel. Its central location is perfect for touring throughout the city. Booking allows you to reserve dorm room style settings. This enables your students to hang out together in the common areas, but sleep separately. 24-hour security provides an additional level of safety in an already secure city. Finally the staff of Castle Rock helps with additional booking of excursions in Edinburgh and Scotland, while also providing student discounts. There is no better place to stay in Edinburgh!
Top 5 Things to Do in Edinburgh with Students
1. All Things Harry Potter
Ok—we’ve officially established that Harry Potter was the primary reason for my visit to Edinburgh. So naturally a Harry Potter tour is at the top of my list for things to do in this city. There are several ways to get your Harry Potter fix in Edinburgh. You can either seek out all of the locations yourself, or you can join a free, that’s right free, walking tour. Before I landed in Edinburgh, I conducted a little bit of research to figure out which locations had Harry Potter connections, and to see which tours were available. A list of all Harry Potter sites and their connections can be found here.
I decided to join a tour. If I didn’t get to see one of the locations that I wanted, I figured I would explore those later on my own. I highly recommend the Potter Trail Tour. All of the guides were fantastic, and even non-Potterheads (a technical term) had a great time. My cloak-wearing guide, Richard, met us at the Greyfriars Bobby Statue to hand out wands, and to teach us spells to turn traffic lights green. That’s right…I officially know spells.
We stopped at various places including Greyfriar’s Kirkyard, Spoon Café, The Elephant House, Victoria Street, and Potterow Port. However the tour did not include Edinburgh Castle, J.K. Rowling’s Handprints, and The Dog House.
The Dog House is an oddly decorated pub with a pretty cool vibe. Their chicken wings are notorious,
BUT the pub serves adult Butter Beer—aka special syrup mixed with Fosters.
When taking students to Edinburgh, I recommend taking them on the Potter Trail Tour. While it is a “magical” literature tour, it allows your students to remain engaged in the book series for only ninety minutes, while safely darting in and out of traffic.
2. Edinburgh Castle
Perched at the top of the Royal Mile is Edinburgh Castle. A lasting symbol of Scottish independence, the castle is a royal residence complete with crown jewels, various memorials, a national war museum, and my personal favorite—a dog cemetery. The views overlooking Edinburgh provide Instagram worthy shots while navigating through the castle’s passageways. You can visit with students here three different ways: you can let your students roam; you can hire audio guides, or you can join a guided tour. In my experience, I have had the most success with audio guides. These allow your high school students to wander at their own pace, while also learning about the topics of interest to them.
3. Royal Mile
If there was ever a location fit for having your students roam freely, the Royal Mile is it! The Royal Mile is a historic road stretching from Edinburgh Castle down to Holyroodhouse, lined with museums, pubs, and shops. My favorite thing to do in places like this is to post up in a super cute café, and to turn my students loose in groups with a photography scavenger hunt. I typically hand out paper copies, set the time frame and parameters, and then send them off. My students always come back with hilarious adventures, amazing pictures, and a little too many souvenirs.
Interested in having a scavenger hunt created? Contact me here.
4.Palace of Holyroodhouse
This palace marks the end of the Royal Mile. Prior to being a palace, an abbey (part of a monastery), stood in its place. According to one legend, the palace was named “ holy rood” for a piece of the cross brought here as a relic by Queen Margaret. Whether or not that’s true, the palace is beautiful and is definitely worth a visit. My favorite parts were the abbey and the gardens. Stunning.
5. Urban Hiking
Even though I’m a city girl at heart, I absolutely love the outdoors, and I frame my student trips around that. Edinburgh has two beautiful hikes that are perfect for both the crisp fall air and for student travel. Arthurs Seat is my favorite hike in the city. It’s an ancient volcano that sits 251 meters above sea level. The climb offers beautiful 360-degree views complete with gusty winds and lush landscape. Pack a lunch, and hangout at the top. Simply amazing.
For another great view of Edinburgh, head up to Calton Hill: the monument that rises up from the eastern end of New Town. As you head to Calton Hill, keep your eyes out for the gated entrance to the Old Calton Cemetery. There is so much history in this cemetery; it’s absolutely fantastic! You can even find a memorial topped with Abraham Lincoln. The views of Edinburgh are good in the cemetery, but the eerie feeling in the air is probably the best part about this location. I never saw people drift from each other when exploring. Students will love it. If time permits, continue down the road towards the entrance of Calton Hill.
Edinburgh is absolutely magical in October. Everything I found myself in front of, I wanted to photograph. Breathtakingly beautiful greens, blues, and grays, set the backdrop of this city rich in history. And while many of us are lucky enough to have a fall break, it’s time to start making Edinburgh a high school student destination!
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