By 1pm it should be somewhere in Lincolnshire - which, whilst not exactly bleak, is noticeably less lush than the home counties, and is known for its rolling hills - and heading into Nottinghamshire. read more
Hogwarts is in the UK - it's very far north and it's generally considered to be in Scotland, yes, because of the topography and weather, and a city in Scotland is mentioned in Prisoner of Azkaban when they're talking about how Sirius is getting closer to Hogwarts. read more
It makes perfect sense -- the trains from Kings Cross go mainly north and you can get a train to Scotland from Kings Cross. Also, the amount of time it seems to take the train to get to Hogwarts seems to be consistent with traveling to some part of Scotland from London. read more
Hogwarts is in the Highlands of Scotland, although nobody knows exactly where. It’s Unplottable for us, Muggles. Hogwarts Express seems like an initiation ceremony to my eyes. When students (old and new, Muggleborn, halfblood, and pureblood alike) enter Platform 9 3/4, they feel they are now part of a new world. read more