The Glenfinnan Viaduct, in the western Highlands of Scotland, is one of the most famous railway bridges in the world. Its 21 concrete arches curve elegantly over a green valley at the head of long Loch Shiel, and in summer a steam train crosses it that Harry Potter fans recognise instantly: the Hogwarts Express. Not far away, on the shore of the loch, a monument recalls the day in 1745 when Bonnie Prince Charlie launched the last Jacobite rising.
History
On 19 August 1745 Charles Edward Stuart, known as Bonnie Prince Charlie, who had recently landed in Scotland, raised his standard here and rallied the Highland clans to win back the throne for his family. The rising took the Jacobite army as far as Derby, but ended in defeat at Culloden in 1746. In 1815 the Glenfinnan Monument, a tower topped by the statue of a Highlander, was erected on the loch shore.
At the end of the 19th century the West Highland Line was built, the railway between Fort William and the port of Mallaig. The contractor Robert McAlpine, nicknamed "Concrete Bob", decided to use concrete, then a new material, because the local rock was too hard to work. The viaduct, completed in 1901, is about 380 metres long and 30 metres high. A century later the cinema made it famous: it appears in several Harry Potter films, starting with Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets in 2002.
- 1745Bonnie Prince Charlie raises his standard at Glenfinnan
- 1815The Glenfinnan Monument is erected
- 1901The viaduct is completed
- 1984The summer steam train service resumes
- 2002The viaduct appears in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
What to see
The viaduct and the steam train
From the visitor centre car park a short path climbs to the viewpoint, from which you see the full curve of the viaduct, with Loch Shiel and the mountains behind. From late spring to early autumn the Jacobite steam train runs between Fort William and Mallaig, usually once in the morning and once in the afternoon in each direction: arrive well in advance to find a spot. Readers of the books may enjoy Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, in which the journey to Hogwarts takes an unexpected turn.
The monument and the visitor centre
The Glenfinnan Monument, cared for by the National Trust for Scotland, stands on the loch shore. The visitor centre tells the story of the 1745 rising, and at certain times you can climb the tower for a splendid view over the loch.
The station
Little Glenfinnan station houses a museum devoted to the West Highland Line, with photographs and period objects, and an old carriage turned into a café. From here a path climbs towards the viaduct from the opposite side.
Practical information
The viaduct can be seen free at any time; the visitor centre car park is paid and fills up early in summer. The steam train should be booked well ahead. Jacobite timetables are on the operator's website and information on the monument on the National Trust for Scotland website.
Getting there
- By train: on regular West Highland Line services or on the Jacobite, stopping at Glenfinnan.
- By car: along the A830, the "Road to the Isles", about 30 minutes from Fort William.
- By air: Inverness Airport is about two and a half hours away, Glasgow Airport about three hours.
Nearby
- Fort William and Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in the United Kingdom.
- The white beaches of Arisaig and Morar and the port of Mallaig, with ferries to Skye.
- Eilean Donan Castle and Urquhart Castle on Loch Ness.
Tips
- How long: an hour or two, longer if you want to wait for the train.
- When to go: May to September for the steam train.
- A tip: climb to the viewpoint at least half an hour before the train passes, and stay afterwards: the crowds leave and the valley falls silent again.