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A train crossing the Glenfinnan Viaduct below the hills.
Fort William

Glenfinnan Viaduct

A curve of 21 concrete arches, 380 metres long, carrying the West Highland Line over the River Finnan since 1901.

Welcome

The Glenfinnan Viaduct carries the West Highland Line across the River Finnan in a great curve of 21 concrete arches, a hundred feet above the river, with Loch Shiel in the view.

It is the viaduct the Hogwarts Express crosses in the Harry Potter films.

It was built for the line to Mallaig, which opened in 1901, and it is the longest concrete viaduct in Scotland. The Jacobite steam train crosses from spring to autumn, and the local ScotRail trains cross all year. The National Trust for Scotland's Glenfinnan visitor centre has paths to viewpoints below and above the arches, and the walk beside the river to the foot of the viaduct takes about 15 minutes. The car parks are very busy, so arrive early or come by bus or train.

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Before you go

Free to see, with paths from the visitor centre.

Parking is £5 and very busy, and the Jacobite crosses from spring to autumn.

Where
Glenfinnan, on the A830 about 18½ miles west of Fort William. The visitor centre, where the paths begin, is at PH37 4LT, and the viaduct is a 15-minute walk from its car parks.
Open
The National Trust for Scotland's grounds and the paths to the viewpoints are open daily. The visitor centre and shop are open 09:30 to 17:00 until 25 October, then 09:30 to 16:00 from 26 October to 21 March 2027, closed 24 to 26 December and 31 December to 1 January.
Trains
The Jacobite steam train runs from spring to autumn, on dates that change each year; its times are shown in the visitor centre. It crosses on the way to and from Mallaig, so there are two chances to see each journey. Through the winter a ScotRail train still crosses several times a day.
Price
Free to see the viaduct and to enter the visitor centre. The car park is £5, free for National Trust for Scotland members.
Parking
Park in the marked bays of the visitor car park (£5), or the community car park next door, linked by a footbridge; the community car park has the larger vehicle spaces. The car parks are extremely busy, so arrive early or come by bus or train. Parking on verges, pavements and driveways is not allowed.
Dogs
Dogs are welcome in the grounds on a lead. For the visitor centre, ask the team first on 01397 722250.
Getting there
Buses from Fort William run daily to the visitor parking areas and the railway station, and ScotRail trains regularly stop at Glenfinnan station. From the station a signposted hillside path leads to the viaduct in about 30 minutes, with some steps, and then on to the visitor centre.
Access
The walk to the foot of the viaduct is flat, about 15 minutes beside the River Finnan from the visitor car parks, and suitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs. The viewpoint above adds a 10-minute climb on a hillside path with some steps, which may be slippery. The 360-degree viewpoint above the visitor centre car park is a 5-minute climb with some steps and benches.
Toilets
The public toilets are at the visitor centre, and when it is closed there is an accessible toilet block in the car park, £1 to open.
Food
Monument View Café inside the visitor centre is open 09:30 to 16:30 until 25 October, then 09:30 to 16:00.

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Did you know

The Jacobite steam train on the Glenfinnan Viaduct, steam rising against the hills.
Did you know

Twenty-one arches, a hundred feet up.

The viaduct curves across the glen above the River Finnan, with Loch Shiel stretching away below it.

The Jacobite's black engine and maroon carriages on the arches of the Glenfinnan Viaduct.
Did you know

It is made of concrete.

Sir Robert McAlpine built the line to Mallaig and trusted concrete where the rock defeated ordinary masonry, which earned him the name Concrete Bob.

The Jacobite steam train crossing the Glenfinnan Viaduct, steam against the mountainside.
Did you know

The line opened on 1 April 1901.

The viaduct has carried every train on the Mallaig extension since, and it is a Category A listed structure.

Hidden Scotland

From our guide to Lochaber

Twenty-one concrete arches carry the West Highland Line across the River Finnan in a great curve, a hundred feet above the river. Sir Robert McAlpine built it, a man known as Concrete Bob for his faith in the material, and the line to Mallaig opened in 1901. Harry Potter fans know it as the bridge the Hogwarts Express crosses. The best time to see it is with a train on it, when the Jacobite steam train crosses in summer. Paths from the visitor centre climb to viewpoints above it. Arrive early, as the car park fills fast.

Read more
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Where it is

At Glenfinnan, on the A830 Road to the Isles, a 15-minute walk along the river from the National Trust for Scotland visitor centre.

Close byAt Glenfinnan.
  1. Glenfinnan MonumentGlenfinnan MonumentA tower with a lone Highlander at the head of Loch Shiel, where Bonnie Prince Charlie raised his standard in 1745.Under a mile 2 min by road
  2. Saint Mary & Saint Finnan ChurchSaint Mary & Saint Finnan ChurchA Gothic church of 1873 on the hillside at Glenfinnan, looking down Loch Shiel, its bell hung outside.Under a mile 2 min by road
  3. Loch EiltLoch EiltA long loch beside the Road to the Isles and the West Highland line, whose little pine island played Dumbledore's grave in Harry Potter.7 miles 11 min by road
  4. Corpach WreckCorpach WreckA rusting fishing boat beached on the shore of Loch Linnhe at Corpach since a storm in 2011, with Ben Nevis behind.11 miles 16 min by road
  5. The Prince's CairnThe Prince's CairnA stone cairn on the shore of Loch nan Uamh, marking where Bonnie Prince Charlie left Scotland for France on 20 September 1746.14 miles 20 min by road
  6. Jacobite Steam TrainJacobite Steam TrainA steam train from Fort William to Mallaig and back, 84 miles over the Glenfinnan Viaduct, in summer.17 miles 29 min by road
Directions

Nothing of ours in this part of the map.

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Stay nearby

Places to stay near the viaduct, and when each is next free.

Glenhurich Lodge, white-harled with dormer windows, at the end of its track behind a beech hedge, snow on the hills beyond.Glenhurich Lodge
  • Sleeps 11
  • In Glenhurich
  • 11 miles from the viaduct
Check datesRiverBeds at Woodlands Glencoe
  • Sleeps 2
  • In Ballachulish
  • 16 miles from the viaduct
Check datesCurlew Cottage, ArdnamurchanCurlew Cottage
  • Sleeps 5
  • In Kingairloch
  • 18 miles from the viaduct
Check datesA white cottage with a grey slate roof stands behind a stone wall among trees on a hillside.The Old School
  • Sleeps 4
  • In Kingairloch
  • 18 miles from the viaduct
Check datesPlaces to stayEvery stay in Fort WilliamAll our places to stay nearby, to search by date and by who is coming.See them all
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What we have written about it, the collections it is in and more in Fort William.

From the magazineThe Last Stop Before NowhereFrom the magazineFishing Towns and VillagesCollectionHarry Potter Locations in ScotlandCollectionPlaces in Scotland You Have Seen on Screen
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For further reading, before you go. The details on this page were checked on .