Inside JK Rowling's Sh290 million mansion where she penned four Harry Potter books

JK Rowling famously wrote her first Harry Potter books on an old typewriter in an Edinburgh cafe while she was a struggling single mum.

But the success of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone was so phenomenal it wasn't long before she became the ultimate rags to riches tale.

Despite being rejected by 12 publishing houses before she finally secured a deal, JK Rowling's debut novel has now sold a massive 120 million copies.

She is now a regular figure on Britain's most rich lists, even though she has given tens of millions of pounds to charity.

And from struggling to make ends meet, the best-selling author was able to buy her own stunning Sh 296 million (£2.25 million) mansion, where she would pen several of the books in the magical series.

JK Rowling lived in the incredible period property with her husband, Dr Neil Murray, and three children in one of Edinburgh's swankiest neighbourhoods.

There was even a writing room in the property's stunning garden - sure to have been an inspiration while she completed the Harry Potter series.

When the home was put on the market in 2009 it sold in just six weeks and was viewed more than 16,000 times on the estate agent's website.

The two-storey, detached town house is built across two floors with an office building in the garden, where JK could have worked.

While it had been remodelled, the estate agent, Rettie, insisted it had been done to "complement retained Victorian period features".

The garden is described as a "discreet landscaped and walled garden", which also has a sunny summer house - perfect for whiling away glorious evenings in warm weather.

There's a double garage and several outbuildings.

James Whitson, a director of Rettie, said: "This was an iconic house in Edinburgh and it was a privilege to be entrusted with its sale.

"The fact we secured a buyer so quickly demonstrates that even in the most challenging of economic environments, we are well-placed to service the needs of our clients at the higher end of the market.

"Further to this it also illustrates there is a shortage of quality supply in Edinburgh and that when any property is correctly priced, in a prime location, it will attract significant interest and in most cases, a buyer."

The 54-year-old rakes in massive amounts from not only her series of Harry Potter books, which has spawned a hugely successful film franchise, theme parks, toys, games and many other merchandise.

She is also the brains behind another super successful series of films, the Fantastic Beasts movies, and has a sell-out West End play, The Cursed Child.

As well as the many wizarding world spin-offs, JK Rowling has proved herself as one of the country's most popular crime authors.

Writing as Robert Galbraith, she had published four novels in the Cormoran Strike series, with plans for a fifth in the pipeline.

Her worth has now been estimated as a gigantic Sh104 billion (£795 million), up Sh5.9 billion (£45 million) in the last 12 months, according to the Sunday Times Rich List.

During the  coronavirus crisis, JK Rowling donated a massive Sh131 million (£1 million) to homeless charity Crisis and Refuge, which helps people dealing with domestic abuse.

She announced the huge gift on May 2, the same day as the anniversary fictional Battle of Hogwarts.

Way back in 2000, the author, who has sold more than 500 million books worldwide, launched the first of her charitable foundations.

The Volant Charitable Trust uses its annual budget of Sh 672 million (£5.1 million) to combat poverty and social inequality as well as giving cash to help youngsters from single parent homes and also pays for research into multiple sclerosis.

JK Rowling's mother had the disease and passed away aged just 45.

The Harry Potter creator is also the president of Gingerbread, a charity that helps one parent families.

In 2005, JK Rowling, along with politician Emma Nicholson, founded the charitable group Lumos, which works to promote the end of the institutionalism of children around the world.

So far it has helped more than 17,000 children and young people.

In 2013, kindhearted JK donated all of the earnings from The Tales of Beedle the Bard to the charity - a massive Sh2.5 billion (£19 million).

Multiple sclerosis is another cause extremely close to the writer's heart following her mother's heartbreakingly early death from the condition in 1990.

She was one of the biggest donors to the new Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Edinburgh University in 2006 and has since given the facility, which has been renamed the Anne Rowling Regenerative Neurology Clinic, a further Sh3.2 billion (£25 million).