I tried to fit a lot of fun into my 16 day trip to Scotland in May and one of the things I wanted to do was see some Harry Potter sites as I loved the books and films. After some research, I narrowed it down to two that could easily fit into my trip. First, checking out Platform 9¾ at King’s Cross Station in London, England as that gave me the excuse to take the train from London to Glasgow. And second, checking out the Glenfinnan Viaduct and the Harry Potter Train (aka the Jacobite steam train).
Unfortunately, my plane left Toronto two hours late and then there was a detour getting from Gatwick to King’s Cross so time to explore King’s Cross dwindled down to 30 minutes. Which didn’t allow for much other than a bathroom break and grabbing a juice before heading to my train. So no Platform 9¾ for me.
But the second part of my Harry Potter experience was fun! And I added in a short hike, some history, marine wildlife and seafood to make the day trip a well-rounded experience. The Glenfinnan Viaduct isn’t far from Fort William so I’d planned to visit as part of a day trip that included a pint of spawns in Mallaig (I’d read about them in a blog post and was sold). After a bit of research, I decided against taking the Jacobite steam train (the train that appears in the film) and instead to get a Day Return ticket on a regular ScotRail train from Fort William to Mallaig, which I could hop on and hop off at my convenience, including at Glenfinnan.
It’s a beautiful train ride, regardless of which side of the train you’re on, but I think the left side going to Mallaig (right on the way back to Fort William) was just a bit better. ScotRail also really promotes the viaduct so there’s no missing it.
I got off at Glenfinnan and headed up to the viaduct trail after grabbing a map at the museum on the platform. It’s a bit longer than 1 km and on the easy side of moderate. I arrived about 45 minutes before the Jacobite train was due and there were already about 30 others. By the time it crossed the viaduct, there had to be about 100 people. I definitely wasn’t the only one with photo taking on my mind. That being said, it wasn’t hard to find a nice place on the path with a good view to take photos of the train. 30 seconds of photo-taking and everyone, me included, disbursed.
I walked over to the Jacobite Monument and Visitor’s Centre as I had an hour to kill until the next train so why not fill it with some history. There’s a nice little museum of the Jacobite Rebellion in the Visitor’s Centre, as well as a gift shop. And the monument is right on a lake so it’s a lovely locale. After a short walk along the road back to the train station (I basically walked in a circle), I explore the mini museum at the station before waiting in the sun for the next train to Mallaig.
At Mallaig, I wandered along the pier and saw a few people taking photos of the water in the harbour so of course, I had to take a look to see what was holding their attention – it was a seal! Who, I swear, was posing for photos. After a few shots, I headed to the café (the Tea Garden Restaurant) I read about where one can get a pint (or half pint) of Mallaig prawns. They were super tasty enough but small and as I had to peel each one (no heads though), it was a lot of peeling, although I was warned about that by my friendly server so I can’t complain. And the prawns were worth it. I probably should have gotten the half pint but there’s something about saying I had a pint of prawns. As it had started to rain a bit, I relaxed for a bit over my pot of tea (and prawns).
Then it was off to the train for the trip back so I didn’t get to explore Mallaig much. There was a bit of confusion as there were two train cars labeled “D” but otherwise, it was an uneventful, if lovely, trip back.
Final Thoughts
While I’m sure I would have loved the experience of taking the Jacobite steam train, for no other reason than I’ve never been on a steam train, I loved the freedom of the return day ticket as it allowed me to explore at my own pace. It was lovely seeing it go over the viaduct though. Sure. I’m a bit disappointed that I never got see Platform 9¾ but I still got my Harry Potter fix, along with some delicious prawns. If you’re a Harry Potter fan, definitely visit the Glenfinnan viaduct if you have the chance.
Have you taken the Jacobite steam train or watched it cross the Glenfinnan viaduct?
Rambles and Walks 