We are introduced to the famous Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the Harry Potter series. But where on, say a map, is it?
A location relative to some other know spot is also acceptable.
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I'm sure this is a duplicate of another question, but I can't find it...– Rand al'Thor ♦Dec 10, 2015 at 13:22
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So am I, I couldn't find it either.– Athena WidgetDec 10, 2015 at 13:24
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9Maybe the duplicate question is Unplottable.– Mike KelloggDec 10, 2015 at 16:28
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Related: literature.stackexchange.com/questions/10855/…– AlexDec 31, 2021 at 0:56
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If we know roughly where Hogwarts locates, we can always plot it on a map, at least one with a very small scale, for example, 1cm:1000km. Right?– HarryDec 31, 2021 at 7:29
2 Answers
We know that it's in Scotland; the castle's Pottermore fact file reveals as much:
Where in the world Scotland
Significant events that took place here One or two minor episodes from Harry Potter's life
In comments, Daniel Roseman suggests that the departure point of the Hogwarts Express may suggest the school is located on the Eastern side of the country:
We can probably be a bit more specific than "Scotland"; since the train leaves from Kings Cross, and not Euston, it is probably on the eastern side rather than the west
According to the movie, the school is probably located somewhere near Dufftown; a Daily Prophet article indicates that Sirius Black had been sighted there:
Transcript1 (emphasis mine):
The female Muggle communicated, via a machine called Telephone, the Muggle Crime Watchers hotline, and immediately the Ministry of Magic Witch Watchers was informed. Minister Cornelius Fudge was taken by surprise and sent hundreds of Witch Watcher Special forces to the village, but when they arrived he was gone. Minister was absolutely disappointed to lose Sirius Black. The situation got worse when hundreds of Dementors turned up making the small Dufftown population quiver in panic.
And the equivalent scene from the book (which doesn't give the location) says that the sighting wasn't far from Hogwarts:
"Hey, Harry," said Seamus Finnigan, leaning over to borrow Harry’s brass scales, "have you heard? Daily Prophet this morning — they reckon Sirius Black's been sighted."
"Where?" said Harry and Ron quickly. On the other side of the table, Malfoy looked up, listening closely.
"Not too far from here," said Seamus, who looked excited
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Chapter 7: "The Boggart in the Wardrobe"
Whether you consider this fact to be canon or not depends entirely on your perspective on the movies.
Regardless, that's the best information we have on the subject; since Hogwarts is Unplottable, by definition we can't place its location on a map.
1 No points for English in this article, ironically
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2We can probably be a bit more specific than "Scotland"; since the train leaves from Kings Cross, and not Euston, it is probably on the eastern side rather than the west. Dec 10, 2015 at 13:34
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1Given the location of Dufftown, it is possible that Hogwarts is located within the Cairngorms National Park, just to the south. Dec 10, 2015 at 14:07
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Harry and Ron's annotations around the Acromantula's entry in 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them' also point to a Scottish location for the school. Dec 10, 2015 at 15:57
Hogwarts is within 10-15 miles* of Aviemore, Scotland, according to the Cursed Child play.
In Act 3, Scene 20 Scorpius and Albus flee from Hogwarts on foot. They set off at night and, after an interval scene, arrive at the train station at Aviemore on what appears to be the same night, at the start of Act 4, Scene 2.
Assuming this isn't 18+ hours later (e.g. the entire night, plus the entire following day), that means that Aviemore must be within walking distance of Hogwarts in less than one night, noting that neither have wands and neither is capable of wandless apparition.
Likely targets would therefore be somewhere in the Cairngorns (which is toward Dufftown, where Sirius was sighted in the Goblet of Fire film) or relatively close to Loch Ness.
*Although it's possible that they walked continuously for 10 whole hours (which could take them as far as Inverness) neither appear to be showing signs of great fatigue, suggesting that they've been walking for at most a few hours, or approximately 10-15 miles.
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We all know that the Cursed Child is, er, cursed canon. The location fits, but do we know that JK approved the naming of this place as within a few hours walk of Aviemore? Dec 30, 2021 at 5:17
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@Dúthomhas - She said quite definitively that the play was canon. Note that this is also from the original (two-part) playbook rather than the more recent revised version.– ValorumDec 30, 2021 at 10:19