George Heriot's School, Edinburgh

George Heriot's School is an independent primary and secondary educational institution located on Lauriston Place in the historic area of Edinburgh known as the Old Town. Its origins trace back to 1628 when it was established as George Heriot's Hospital, thanks to the generous bequest of George Heriot, a renowned royal goldsmith. The school officially opened its doors in 1659. Today, it operates under the governance of the George Heriot's Trust, a Scottish charitable organization, and serves a student body of over 1600, supported by 155 teaching staff and 80 non-teaching personnel.

The school's principal edifice is a distinctive architectural gem, characterized by its turreted design enclosing a spacious courtyard, all constructed from sandstone. Notably, the building exhibits Renaissance-style architecture, and the foundation stone bears the year 1628 as an enduring testament to its historical origins. Each window on the structure features intricate and unique ornamentation, except for a specific pair of windows situated on the ground floor flanking the now obsolete central turret on the west side of the building. Additionally, a statue of the school's founder, George Heriot, is prominently displayed within a niche on the northern side of the courtyard.

***Harry Potter Tour***
When seen for the first time, the castle-like George Heriot's School usually strikes the onlooker with its resemblance to Hogwarts. Indeed, this private educational institution relies on the same House system to sort students as the famous School of Witchcraft and Wizardry did, sorting its young wizard pupils as Ravenclaw, Slytherin, Gryffindor and Hufflepuff, and perhaps it had inspired J.K. Rowling, whose children also attended George Heriot’s School!

Another reason for speculation about its inspiration behind Hogwarts is that, similarly to Greyfrier’s Kirkyard, the George Heriot School can be seen from the windows of the Elephant House Café, which J.K. Rowling used to frequent while writing Harry Potter.