Harry Potter Plays the Bagpipes

Okay, maybe he doesn't really play the bagpipes, but the story is set in the UK so I figure with a little bit of stretching I can make the new Potter book fit in with my blog. No worry's, I'm not going to post any spoilers here, just some general merriment and a bit of bereavement over the ending of the Potter era. Well, I guess it's not really done yet, there are still some movies left so just the end of the written word Potter era.

I went to Walmart a little after midnight to get my book, decided not to fight the kiddies at Barnes and Nobles. But the line at Walmart stretched out the door and a half hour in length. With my prize clutched in my hands I couldn't resist going over to Barnes and Nobles anyway, if only to gloat to those standing in line at 1am that ha ha! I'd gotten my book a half hour earlier.

I finished my book Sunday night and in my humble and purposely vague opinion, it was the best one yet, definitely (in staying with the theme of this blog) two pipes up! That's it, that's all I'll say about the book.

I did a random Internet search on any specific connections between Harry Potter and Scotland and there are loads. For one things, they offer specialized Harry Potter tours to England and Scotland looks like both the England and Scotland tours are sold out through August. Actually, the England tour looks a bit better in terms of seeing different areas where the Harry Potter movies were filmed. Some highlights include London Zoo (where the escaping snake scene was filmed in movie #1), Kings Cross Station, Australia House on the Strand (Gringotts Wizarding Bank), Charing Cross (Diagon Alley), and Christ Church College (interior Hogwarts scenes). Than I think you'd have to ditch the tour for a day or so and head over to Alnwick Castle where a lot of the exterior Hogwarts shots were filmed.

Actually, even if you can't make one of these tours it's pretty interesting to read about all the places in England and Scotland where the movie was filmed.

Plus, according to a USA Today article,J.K. Rowlings has all sorts of connections to Scotland.
She has lived in Edinburgh, Scotland since 1994 and calls it her home. The article speculates that Edinburgh castle provided inspiration for Potter's world, and in the real world, several Edinburgh establishments saw J.K. Rowling working on the Potter series. Having been to Edinburgh I agree that one couldn't help but be inspired by this amazing city.

I'll miss you Harry Potter!
Pipe on!