Echoes of History Beautiful Sites Where the World Was Forever Changed

41. The Bench Where J.K. Rowling First Dreamed Up Harry Potter – Edinburgh, Scotland

One of the world’s most beloved stories was born on an ordinary park bench in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was here, in the shadow of Edinburgh Castle, that J.K. Rowling first envisioned Harry Potter while struggling as a single mother. She later wrote much of the first book in The Elephant House café, where visitors can still sit by the window overlooking the cityscape that inspired Hogwarts. A simple wooden bench, passed by thousands every day, was the birthplace of a literary phenomenon.