Scotland

At the start of the novel, Christopher travels to Scotland to stay with his grandfather Frank Aureate while his father is away for work. When he first arrives here from his North London home, Christopher is delighted by all of the squirrels that cluster "around his feet" at the station (4). He is even more delighted when he and Frank drive to Frank's home and he observes the "mountain roads" and notices the air growing "richer, and deeper, and wilder" (14). Christopher is accustomed to living in the city and therefore enjoys being in this rural, country setting. On his first days in Scotland, he ventures around his grandfather's property to explore the natural world. This is how he finds the portal into the Archipelago and learns about the magical world.

Archipelago

The Archipelago is the primary setting for the novel. As Frank tells Christopher in "The Guardian's Secret," the...