Glenfinnan Viaduct
This is the location where the famous Harry Potter Hogwarts Express passes through. To view the steam train, one must be at the view point by 10.30 am on weekdays. Don't take the trail from visitor center. Right across the river from the visitor center, there is another free parking area just 50 meters away. Take the road trail from the back of the car park there. It's a 10 mins walk to the Glenfinnan Viaduct View Point.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glenfinnan_Viaduct
- 21 arched
- Location for Harry Potter films
- Overlooks Loch Shiel and Jacobsite monument
How to get to Glenfinnan Viaduct?
From Portree, head out to Armadale Ferry Terminal (70km, 1 hour drive) to take a ferry to cross the straits to Mallaig.
Mallaig-armadale-skye-ferry-summer-timetable
To catch the 8.40am ferry and arrive Mallaig at 9:25 am.
From Mallaig, drive a further 42 km (36 mins) to reach Glenfinnan Viaduct Car Park.
From the car park, walk to the back to find a trail road and walk for 10 mins to reach the viaduct view point. Wait for the train to come.
When does train runs across the viaduct bridge?
Jacobite Steam Train schedule
The train runs from Fort Williams to Mallaig with stops at:
- Banavie
- Corpach
- Lock Eil Outward Bound
- Locheilside
- Glenfinnan (stops here)
- Lockailort
- Beasdale
- Arisaig (Britain's most westerly mainland railway station)
- Morar (deepest freshwater loch in Britain, Loch Morar and shorted river, River Morar)
Steam train schedule
For 29-Jun-19, the morning train departs at 10:15 am to reach Mallaig at 12:25 pm with stops at Glenfinnan and Arisaig (by request). Expect the train to reach Glenfinnan viaduct at 10:45 am (30km).
Other information:
- The train track western extension from Fort Williams to Mallaig (fishing town) was commissioned back in 1897 and completed in 1901.
- The main contractor was Robert McAlpine and designed by Simpson & Wilson.
- It consist of 11 tunnels and 6 viaducts.
- The railway line built from concrete and that earns Robert McAlpine his nickname 'Concrete Bob'.
- Other famous viaduct includes Loch Nan Uamh Viaduct and Borrodale Arch.
- History has it that during construction of the railway a horse and cart accidentally felt into a pier at Glefinnan Viaduct. After some research and hearsay, it was finally revealed that the lost horse and cart was buried in the center pier of
loch-nan-uamh-viaduct.
