Harry Potter magic makes Scotland place to visit in 2017: Rough Guides

The magic of boy wizard Harry Potter helped Scotland Monday win a top spot in a list of the best 10 places to visit in 2017.

Scotland was number two in the list, second only to India, in the list revealed by London-based Rough Guides travel organisation.

The travel experts at Rough Guides said a journey along the 830-kilometer scenic road trip though the Scottish Highlands, known as the North Coast 500, was one of the main reasons to visit Scotland.

The journey starts and ends of Inverness Castle, one of Scotland's top visitor attractions. The rugged-road route passes through the Highlands, past isolated bothies, white-sand beaches and surf spots, say Rough Guides.

With 2017 marking the 20th anniversary of the first Harry Potter book by J. K. Rowling, there was no better excuse to visit some of the locations made famous by the magical Potter films, said Rough Guides.

Events in 2017 will include tours for the upcoming 20th anniversary with Potter fans able to board the Hogwarts Express which transported school-age wizards to the famous fictional School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

"Hop on the Jacobite steam train (also known as the Hogwarts Express) for a magical journey over mountains and freshwater lochs, hang out in JK Rowling's charming Edinburgh haunts, or hike out to the site of Hagrid's hut in awe-inspiring Glen Coe," said the guide's citation.

"Wildlife, whisky and a wonderfully warm welcome make Scotland a perennially popular destination, but in 2017 there are even more reasons to visit," Rough Guides added.

The travel company also recommends Scotland's food and drink scene to visitors, describing Glasgow as one of the best places to head for culinary experimentation and hailing the work of Scottish microbreweries.

The Rough Guides top 10 places to visit in 2017 are: India, Scotland, Canada, Uganda, Bolivia, Nicaragua, Portugal, Finland, Namibia, Taiwan. Endit