Is Victoria Street the Real Diagon Alley? Harry Potter Myths in Edinburgh
Is Victoria Street the Real Diagon Alley?
Victoria Street is one of those places where Edinburgh stops pretending to be normal. It curves gently down from George IV Bridge towards the Grassmarket, with bright shopfronts, cobbled stones, and just enough drama to make you wonder whether the street was designed by an architect or by someone who had accidentally spilled ink on a map.
For many Harry Potter fans visiting Edinburgh, Victoria Street has become “the real Diagon Alley”. You can understand why. It has colour, character, old stones, mysterious windows, and that wonderfully Edinburgh habit of putting one street on top of another as if gravity were only a suggestion.
But is Victoria Street actually the inspiration for Diagon Alley?
The honest answer is: not officially.
J.K. Rowling has directly denied the claim. In one of her public clarifications, she wrote: “No real street inspired Diagon Alley” and added that it “came out of my head.” She also explained that she had not seen Victoria Street when she created Diagon Alley, although she obviously visited later as she's lived for more than 30 years in Edinburgh.
But that does not mean Victoria Street is unmagical. Quite the opposite.
Victoria Street was built in the early XIX century as part of improvements to Edinburgh’s Old Town. It replaced part of the old West Bow, a steep medieval street that must have been a challenge for anyone with a general desire to survive the climb. The architect Thomas Hamilton helped create the new street, and the result became one of the most distinctive views in the city.
There is also a lovely historical detail that makes the Potter connection even more tempting. One of Victoria Street’s old businesses was Robert Cresser’s brush shop, founded in 1873. It sold brushes and brooms, and by all accounts looked exactly like the sort of place where a broom might behave suspiciously if left unattended. It closed in 2004, but the image of an old broom shop on Victoria Street was simply too delicious for fans to ignore.
This is where the real fun begins. Victoria Street may not be the official Diagon Alley, but it has become part of Edinburgh’s magical imagination. It is not proof. It is an atmosphere. And sometimes, atmosphere is what Edinburgh does best.
The city does not need to have been copied directly into the books to feel connected to them. Edinburgh gave Rowling years of bad weather, cobblestones, steep streets, gothic corners, hidden closes, and the feeling that behind the ordinary world, a magical one might hide.. Victoria Street belongs to that same family of places: not the source, perhaps, but certainly the sort of street that makes the story feel possible.
So, is Victoria Street the real Diagon Alley?
No.
Should you still visit it if you love Harry Potter, Edinburgh, beautiful streets, unusual architecture and the possibility of accidentally buying something you did not need?
Absolutely.
Come for the myth. Stay for the truth.. When you walk down Victoria Street, do not worry too much about whether it is officially Diagon Alley. Just enjoy the fact that, for a few minutes, Edinburgh looks exactly like the kind of city where a brick wall might open if you tapped it in the right place.
Sources:
J.K. Rowling statement on Diagon Alley: https://x.com/jk_rowling/status/1545728876223266817
STV News article on Rowling, Victoria Street and Greyfriars: https://news.stv.tv/east-central/jk-rowling-denies-harry-potter-connection-to-edinburghs-victoria-street-and-greyfriars-kirkyard
Edinburgh World Heritage — Victoria Street history: https://ewh.org.uk/victoria-street/
Historic Environment Scotland — Victoria Street listing: https://portal.historicenvironment.scot/designation/LB30002