Better than Fiction: Study in the Iconic Settings of your Favourite Novels
Written by Advisor Lauren - 21/05/2025
Have you dreamed of going to Hogwarts? Visiting Pemberley like Elizabeth Bennett? Walking through Birnam woods, imaging the final scenes of Macbeth? Why not study in the UK, where you can experience the iconic locations of some of society’s most beloved fictional stories, and live out the dreams as reality.
Follow along below as we go through some iconic literary settings, and their UK university equivalents! Our advising team would be thrilled to help you with your journey abroad.
Harry Potter
Perhaps the most well-known children’s book series, the Harry Potter books were written in Edinburgh. While you can’t study at Hogwarts itself, you can study in the Scottish Highlands – why not check out University of Aberdeen? With it’s castle like setting, the Scottish Highlands surrounding, and the opportunity to take a steam train like the Hogwarts Express, you can live out your Harry Potter dreams!
You can take a day trip to check out the locations that inspired Diagon Alley, the character names in Harry Potter, and the actual café JK Rowling wrote Harry Potter in!
Outlander
Do you dream of travelling back in time like Claire? Visiting Jamie’s printshop, or wandering around Lallybroch? You should study at Edinburgh Napier University! While the books are set in the Scottish Highlands, the filming locations you may be familiar with from the show are actually in and around Edinburgh! Visit Bakehouse Close to see Jamie’s printshop, Blackness Castle, Doune Castle, Falkland, Culross, Linlithgow Palace, Midhope Castle and more for the gorgeous locations of some of your favourite scenes. Edinburgh Napier is the perfect base to explore! You can tour on your own, or partake in one of the organized tours leaving from the Royal Mile, and even take a daytrip to the site of the Battle of Culloden.
Shakespeare
If you’re a Shakespeare fan, there are plenty of UK locations you can check out! Study at one of our many university partners in London, and visit the Globe Theatre to see a show!
If you’re a Macbeth fan, why not study at University of Stirling or University of Dundee, and check out Birnam Woods and Cawdor Castle! Both universities are both a short train ride away from those iconic locations, and you can immerse yourself in the stories of the past. A bonus for Stirling, the university is located in the shadow of the Wallace Monument, for any Braveheart fans! If you’re a fan of Beatrix Potter, Dundee is also a great location – her hometown and museum are not far!
Jane Austen
Does the charm of Regency Era England intrigue you? Do you dream of finding Mr. Darcy, or attending a ball? Why not check out a small university in England, such as University of Derby, where you can visit Chatsworth House, which posed as Pemberley in Pride and Prejudice? Or University of Sheffield, a short train ride away from Mansfield! Escape to the sea like Lydia Bennett, and attend University of Brighton!
If you study at the University of Winchester, you can visit Jane Austen’s final resting place in Winchester Cathedral. If you want to feel like you are studying in a grand manor house, check out Regent’s University – the climbing Wisteria is something straight out of Bridgerton!
Babel, A Discovery of Witches
If you’re a fan of more modern literature, like Babel by RF Kuang, why not check out Oxford Brookes University? Located in Oxford, it has significantly cheaper tuition, and students are able to use the Bodleian Library! Study through the night like Diana Bishop, or wander through town like Robin Swift.
Alternatively, if you want the old feel of a university, with the college system, prestige, and stunning buildings, check out Durham University! You’ll feel like an old-time scholar with all the modern amenities to give you an excellent education.
The United Kingdom has a rich history of literature – if your favourite isn’t mentioned, sign up for an advisor today to find out your university options to make your UK literary dreams come true!