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Okay Potterheads, this is not a drill. Did you know that you can visit the Harry Potter Hagrid’s Hut location in Glencoe?
It’s located above Torren Lochan in Clachaig Gully and it’s where they filmed the spectacular scenery surrounding Hagrid’s Hut for the movies!
Although the set won’t be there on your visit, you can still enjoy a walk up to the viewpoint and see the filming location for yourself. It will transport you straight into the world of Hogwarts.
It was one of my favourite Harry Potter filming locations in Scotland by far!
Here is a complete Clachaig Inn Harry Potter guide and how to visit the Hagrid’s Hut Location in Glencoe.
What is Hagrid’s Hut in Harry Potter?
So, Harry Potter fans will need no introduction to Hagrid’s Hut. But, if you’re visiting Scotland with your Hogwarts obsessed friends, I’ve got you covered.
Rubeus Hagrid is one of the most loveable characters in the Harry Potter series. He’s a gentle half-giant, protector for Harry, and groundskeeper at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Later, he was promoted to a Care of Magical Creatures Professor.
He is a close friend to Albus Dumbledore and has a slight obsession with magical creatures like Acromantulas, Giants, Hippogriffs, and Dragons. This fascination sometimes gets him into very awkward and troublesome situations.
As groundskeeper, Hagrid lives in a small wooden hut outside of Hogwarts on the castle grounds. It only has one room inside but comes with its very own pumpkin patch and has easy access to the Forbidden Forest.
We see this magical residence many times throughout the Harry Potter movies and it’s featured in some of the most poignant scenes.
Can you visit Hagrid’s Hut? Is Hagrid’s Hut real?
Many Harry Potter fans ask “where is Hagrid’s Hut in real life?” and “is Hagrid’s Hut real?”.
Well, I’m sorry to be the one to tell you this but Hagrid’s Hut is not a real house. It was just a set specifically made for the Harry Potter movies.
But, that doesn’t mean to say that you can’t visit and check it out! They actually have the real Hagrid’s Hut set on display at the Harry Potter Studio Tour in London. You can even see Fang waiting to greet you inside.
Although Hagrid’s Hut isn’t real, Potterheads will be pleased to know that you can visit the Hagrid’s Hut Location that they used to film Hogwarts Castle grounds in the Harry Potter movies!
Clachaig Inn Harry Potter connection – Where is the Hagrid’s Hut location?
The production team for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban built Hagrid’s Hut on location at Clachaig Gully in Glencoe, Scotland.
The team set up three sets near Clachaig Inn for filming in May and June of 2003. They were Hagrid’s Hut, the Sundial Garden, and the Covered Hogwarts Bridge.
They filmed here for dramatic effect so that they could capture the amazing views of Torren Lochan and Signal Rock Forest. It makes sense as Hogwarts is surrounded by scenic landscapes.
The sets were built just over the road from Clachaig Inn, a historic pub that started out as a coaching inn hundreds of years ago.
What Harry Potter movie was filmed at Clachaig Gully & Torren Lochan?
We see Hagrid’s Hut at Clachaig Gully in three of the Harry Potter movies. These are;
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)
Dedicated Harry Potter fans will know that there was a Hagrid’s Hut location change between the second and the third movies.
We first see Hagrid’s Hut in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and the Chamber of Secrets but it’s located a lot closer to Hogwarts Castle. These scenes were all filmed at Black Park in Slough.
In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Hagrid’s Hut location changes, and the hut is placed much further away from Hogwarts Castle. It requires a much longer walk down to it on the grounds!
The Hagrid’s Hut Location change was due to the fact that the two movies had two different directors. Christopher Columbus and Alfonso Curon had very different interpretations of where the hut should be placed.
Personally, I think that Clachaig Gully was a far superior location for Hagrid’s Hut. It’s so much more dramatic with the mountains in the backdrop and adds to the mystery with the Forbidden Forest nearby.
It also makes sense for the hut to change location because of the story as well. Hagrid gets promoted to a Care of Magical Creatures Professor. As part of this, he gets moved to a bigger hut.
What Harry Potter scenes were filmed in Clachaig Gully?
So, firstly we see Hagrid’s Hut at Clachaig Gully in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. This where the Golden Trio visit Hagrid when Buckbeak is Exected and then where Harry and Hermione use the time-turner to revisit the scene and save him.
In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, this is the place where Harry sees the thestrals for the first time. Also, this is where Umbridge fires Hagrid.
Finally, we see Slughorn, Hagrid, and Harry say farewell to Aragog in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
Watch the scene, The Golden Trio visit Hagrid’s Hut before Buckbeak’s Execution!
How to visit Hagrid’s Hut location or Torren Lochan from the Clachaig Inn
So, how can you visit the Harry Potter Hagrid’s Hut location? Well, it’s located in a place called Clachaig Gully in Glencoe that is in the Highlands of Scotland.
It’s best to drive to Glencoe as the location is very remote. Luckily, there are a few Harry Potter filming locations in the Scottish Highlands that you could visit to make it worthwhile.
It’s the perfect excuse to plan a Harry Potter road trip through Scotland and experience some of the magical locations they used to create Hogwarts and the Wizarding World!
By public transport: If you don’t drive, you can easily visit Clachaig Gully on a hike from Glencoe Village. It will take you around 30 minutes to walk from there.
There is a regular N44 bus service from Fort William to Glencoe Village. Click here to plan your journey with Shiel Buses.
Fort William is a popular gateway to the Highlands with lots of infrastructure. It has a train station with connections to Glasgow. There are also Scottish City Link buses from Glasgow and Edinburgh.
Here is a Google Pin for the Clachaig Inn to plan your journey. Clachaig Gully address is Old Village Road, Glencoe, Ballachulish PH49 4HX
1. Firstly arrive in Glencoe Valley
First of all, you’ll need to navigate over to Glencoe in Scotland. It’s one of the most magical and evocative places in the country!
It’s known as the ‘Outdoor Capital of the UK’ and, as well as being home to Harry Potter locations, there’s lots of lakes, walks and viewpoints to enjoy around here.
It’s really easy to navigate Glencoe by car as there is only one A82 road that takes you through the valley. You’ll see a turn-off for the Clachaig Inn on a huge brown tourist sign so you can’t miss it.
2. Navigate your way over to the Clachaig Inn
Once you’ve turned off for the Clachaig Inn, you’ll be driving down a single-track road with passing places for a short while.
Take care as cars, vans and sometimes lorries will be driving the other way! Eventually, you’ll turn a corner and see the Clachaig Inn on the roadside to your left!
Clachaig Inn parking
There is no visitor parking for Clachaig Gully or Torren Lochan. You’ll be parking up by the Clachaig Inn. The walk up to Hagrid’s Hut will be 5-10 minutes from here.
Parking in the hotel car park is normally for hotel guests and those visitors who are using their bar and restaurant facilities.
However, there is a small roadside lay-by opposite the hotel that’s located by the tourist information board in Clachaig Gully.
It’s quite a small parking area so make sure to park with consideration and pop in your wing mirror.
3. Start walking up the road until you see a path on your right
From the Clachaig Inn, you’ll need to start walking up the main road. You’ll be sharing the road with cars but it’s only for a short distance.
Once you see a passing place sign, there will be a gravel pathway on the right that you can move on to.
Take this pathway and shortly after you’ll see a beaten pathway on the grass that leads you up into the fern.
4. Take the gravel path and then turn right again. Walk up into the fern
Start taking this grassy pathway and follow the beaten trail up into the fern to the viewpoint.
It does get quite steep in places and due to the popularity of the Harry Potter Hagrid’s Hut location, the footfall has meant that parts of this hike are really muddy.
Make sure you have some proper shoes and take care not to slip over, it’s decevingly steep.
If you get lost, there is actually a real Google Pin called ‘Site where Hagrid’s Hut was filmed‘. You can use this to make sure you’re heading in the right direction. Although, I will say that the GPS signal is terrible here due to the mountains.
5. Keep going up until you’ve found the Hagrid’s Hut Location!
Keep following the muddy and steep trail up to the top of the hillside. It’s here you’ll find the Hagrid’s Hut location.
You can go further up to get even better views, but I found that the views of Torren Lochan were excellent from the viewpoint.
Now, all that’s left is to take in the views and feel like you’re sitting with Hagrid on the Hogwarts grounds.
Things to do at the Harry Potter Hagrid’s Hut Location
So, what is there to do when you finally reach the Hagrid’s Hut location in Clachaig Gully?
It won’t look exactly like the movies as there won’t be any of the props and sets here. But, you can easily visit the locations where they were set up in 2003.
It will seriously transport you straight back to the Wizarding World. Here are all the magical things to do at Torren Lochan where they filmed Hagrid’s Hut!
Stand where Hagrid’s Hut was filmed
Of course, the main draw of this location is to visit where they built Hagrid’s Hut at Glencoe. You’ll find a natural ‘plateau’ that sticks out on the hillside and overlooks Torren Lochan.
This is the exact spot where they built Hagrid’s Hut in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban!
For the production, they removed a lot of the foliage around the gully but now it has grown back to its natural state. I still thought it looked amazing and it was so surreal to stand on the very spot from the films.
Admire Torren Lochan from the viewpoint
My favourite part of this location was the incredible panoramas of Torren Lochan you can get from here.
You’ll see the lake below that’s enveloped by Signal Rock Forest with a backdrop of the dramatic Glencoe mountains! It’s magical and it will take your breath away.
On my visit, it was quite a misty morning and it really added to the atmosphere. It really felt like Hagrid’s Hut in the movies!
There’s a small rock that you can perch on at the viewpoint to sit and just take it all in. You honestly won’t want to leave as it’s so stunning.
See the filming locations of the Sundial Garden and Hogwarts Bridge
It’s good to note that it wasn’t just Hagrid’s Hut they set up here at Clachaig Gully in Glencoe. The production team also set up scenes to film some surrounding Hogwarts Scenery too.
Hogwarts Castle was obviously edited in later during post production so you’ll have to imagine its there…somewhere!
If you climb up even higher in Clachaig Gully you’ll find the location where they built the Sundial Garden. These were the standing stones where Hermione punches Draco in the face.
You’ll have to keep climbing up the hills in order to see that location. There are no stone steps or boardwalks like in the movies – so it’s a bit of a scramble. It was too muddy on my visit.
They also set up the Covered Hogwarts Bridge here too. The local residents must have had a bit of a shock to see all the sets!
Of course, none of this will be there on your visit – it’s the magic of cinema! But, this beautiful location will feel like you’re there.
Explore the Forbidden Forest!
They also used some of the Signal Rock Forest here to film the Forbidden Forest in the Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Well, the entrance to it anyway.
They used many locations around the UK for the Forbidden Forest including Burnham Beeches, Black Park and Virginia Water that is known as ‘the other Hogwarts Lake’. But, Clachaig Gully’s forest area by the hut was used in the third movie.
If you remember, this is where Harry, Ron, and Hermione run by the forest and hide behind the pumpkin patch. They see Cornelius Fudge and Dumbledore approaching the hut for Buckbeak’s execution. A while later, Harry and Hermione use her time turner to go back in time and save Buckbeak!
You can visit these exact trees right beside where they built Hagrid’s Hut but you won’t see the stone wall here or any pumpkins.
You can go exploring for a while in the Forbidden Forest at Clachaig Gully. But, I’m not sure where the trail leads being honest. I didn’t go any further than the very edge.
How to get to Torren Lochan from the Harry Potter Hagrid’s Hut location
If you were thinking of heading down to Torren Lochan after your visit to Hagrid’s Hut, I would personally head back the way you came.
Follow the path back down to ground level and then turn right when you meet the main footpath by the road.
That path leads you straight down to Torren Lochan and it will so be much easier than navigating your way through the forest and fern in my opinion.
The terrain around the Hagrid’s Hut location is so uneven, steep, and rocky as it’s at a height. It will be a mission to find the loch from there as there’s no set pathway!
Make sure to visit the Clachaig Inn after your hike
If you were looking for some lunch, dinner, or a drink after your walk then you can head back to the Clachaig Inn!
It has a long history as a coaching inn and is one of the oldest hotels in Glencoe. They also have an award-winning bar onsite to enjoy.
Clachaig Inn bar is open year-round from 11 am – 11 pm, but slightly later on weekends.
There is also a restaurant that serves up food from midday until 9 pm. It’s in the perfect location for a meal after your hike to Hagrid’s Hut!
Again, the bar and restaurant are dog-friendly. According to the website, well-behaved dog owners are welcomed.
Click here to see a menu for the Clachaig Inn Restaurant
My top tips for visiting the Hagrid’s Hut location
- Bring a good pair of shoes, the trail up to the viewpoint can get muddy/slippy if it’s been raining heavily.
- This is Scotland so you may find that the weather changes suddenly, there could be four seasons in one day. Make sure to bring a spare layer if it’s chilly or starts raining.
- Park with consideration at the Clachaig Inn, there is some public parking outside on a lay-by.
- I would make sure to visit this location with enough daylight, there is no lighting at Glencoe in the evening.
- There are no toilets facilities at the start of this walk. Clachaig Inn have toilets for paying customers. The nearest would be the Glencoe Visitor Centre or Glencoe Village.
- The walk is dog friendly so you can bring your furry family members with you!
Hagrid’s Hut at Harry Potter Studios in London
If you wanted to see what happened to the Hagrid’s Hut set, then you only need to fly your broom down to London and visit the Harry Potter Studios Tour.
At the exhibition, you can see the Hagrid’s Hut model they used for the movies. They have even decked it out with Hagrid’s costume and have a model of Fang!
Buckbeak can also be found here at the Forbidden Forest section and you can even bow down to him…and he bows back! It’s a must-visit for any Harry Potter fan visiting the UK.
It’s not the cheapest attraction but it is so worth the money to see so many props and costumes that they used for the films. You can even sip on Butterbeer and walk over the Hogwarts Bridge.
Where to say near the Harry Potter Hagrid’s Hut location
Of course, the closest place to stay near the Hagrid’s Hut location is the historic Clachaig Inn!
Although today it’s associated with Harry Potter, it actually has hundreds of years of history as a coaching inn in Glencoe.
Their comfy rooms have recently been renovated and they are all dog friendly. You also get the added benefits of a restaurant and bar onsite.
Clachaig Inn is based at the foot of Clachaig Gully so you’ll be surrounded by dramatic mountains and incredible scenery.
It will be a peaceful retreat in the wilderness plus you’re just inches away from Hagrid’s Hut and Hogwarts!
Click here to book your stay at the Clachaig Inn
Why not book a night in Hagrid’s Hut?
Have you ever wanted to spend a magical night in Hagrid’s Hut at Hogwarts? Well, now you can by heading down to North Yorkshire.
The Groundskeeper’s Cottage by North Shire is the only one of its kind in the world and is a life-size hut that you can book to spend the night.
It has a living room, kitchen, Ministry of Magic bathroom, and bedroom which makes the entire place cosy. There’s even a Ford Anglia outside.
It’s been set up as the perfect Potterhead retreat in the countryside. So, you can relax on the sofa, pour yourself some Butterbeer, and have a Harry Potter movie night.
I recently stayed here and it was the most magical time! It is expensive but worth splurging on.
Click here to read my complete Groundskeeper’s Cottage review!
Looking for more Harry Potter filming locations in Glencoe?
If you’re a Potterhead, you have to check out some more Harry Potter locations in Glencoe.
A little further down the road, you can turn off at Glen Etive that is also known as the ‘James Bond Road’ due to it featuring in Skyfall. Head all the way down the road for 40 minutes or so until you reach Loch Etive and this is where they filmed Harry Potter!
Afterward, you can then head onto another spot called Rannoch Moor viewpoint where they filmed scenes of the Hogwarts Express!
Aside from Harry Potter locations, Glencoe is also filled with amazing scenery and walks to enjoy. Why not make a stop at the Glencoe Visitor Centre or the ‘Wee White House’?!
Discover even more Harry Potter locations in Scotland
Did you know that there are plenty of Harry Potter filming locations in Scotland that you can visit? Most are located around Fort William, so you’re in the perfect place as it’s just a few miles away.
Next, you can head over to Glenfinnan catch a view of The Jacobite steam train heading over the Glenfinnan Viaduct which stood in for the Hogwarts Express.
Afterward, make sure you head down to the Glenfinnan Monument and to Loch Shiel that stood in for Hogwarts Lake scenery.
Then you can visit Eliean Na Moine on Loch Eilt and see where Dumbledore is buried. The gorgeous Loch Morar is a few miles up the road and also featured as a Hogwarts Lake.
If you’re up for a hike you can head to Steall Waterfall near Glen Nevis that featured in the Goblet of Fire. Or, take a drive to Loch Arkaig (this one is only for dedicated fans as the drive is a challenge).
Black Rock Gorge is also a location on the NC500 that featured in the Goblet of Fire during the Triwizard Tournament.
Finally, who could forget Edinburgh? Although there were no filming locations here – it’s the city that started it all! Click here to read my complete list of Harry Potter locations in Edinburgh
You can visit a real-life Diagon Alley on Victoria Street with Museum Context. Try Butter Beer at the Dog House, find Tom Riddle’s Grave, and even see Wizard Chess pieces.
Click here for my complete list of Harry Potter filming locations in Scotland
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Save the Clachaig Inn Harry Potter Hagrid’s Hut location for later!
