Introduction

Tonight I am posting information on the small village of Glenfinnan in the Scottish Highlands.

The name is derived from ‘Fingon’s Glen’. Fingon was an abbot of Iona in the 14th century. There is also a connection with the surname Mackinnon.  Today, Glenfinnan is famous for (a) the landing place of Bonnie Prince Charlie in 1745 and (b) the Glenfinnan Railway Viaduct. Many thousands flock to watch the Jacobite Express trundle over the viaduct during the summer months.

More information on Glenfinnan.

Glenfinnan Viaduct: Built 1897-1898 as part of the West Highland Railway which opened in 1901. Construction was undertaken by ‘Concrete Bob’ McAlpine who was an early proponent of the then new construction material of concrete. The viaduct, which was built using non-reinforced concrete. the structure has twenty one arches, reaches a height of thirty metres (98 feet) and is 380 metres (1248 feet) in length.

Filming: The location has become famous for filming, particularly the Harry Potter series. Now the viaduct has become unofficially known as the ‘Harry Potter Bridge’ . 

Loch Shiel: A 28 km ( 17.5 miles) long lake at the northern  head of which stands the Glenfinnan Monument.

Glenfinnan Monument

Glenfinnan Monument:This  dates from 1815 and was constructed to commemorate the landing of Bonnie Prince Charlie in August 1745. This proved to be a doomed attempt to win back by force the thrones of Scotland and England for the Stewart cause. The Monument is 18m (60 feet) high and is surmounted by a statue of a kilted highlander.The Monument is now cared for by Scotland’s National Trust and is open to visitors. The latter may wish to climb the narrow winding stairway and squeeze through a narrow entrance at the top. Such a climb will be rewarded by excellent views (weather permitting). There is a National Trust run visitor centre at Glenfinnan with particular emphasis on the Bonnie Prince Charlie connection.

Jacobite Express

Jacobite Express: This steam train service operates from May to October over the line between Fort William and Mallaig. This 134 km (84 mile) round trip which has been described as one of the world’s great railway journeys. The train is very popular with families and fans of the Harry Potter series. The video clip below shows the train crossing the Glenfinnan viaduct.

Glenfinnan Village

Glenfinnan Village: A small community with three hotels and railway station. Located  19km ( 12 miles) from Fort William (east) and 42km (26 miles) from Mallaig (west). Glenfinnan is located on a main route from Fort William to the Isle of Skye via the ferry connection at Mallaig. 

 Video clip of Jacobite Express aka ‘Harry Potter Train’ crossing Glenfinnan Viaduct.

Video Clip of Glenfinnan Monument and Loch Shiel

More Information for the visitor to Scotland

The publication, Visitors’ Guide to Scotland includes sections on landscapes, history, cities, architecture and much more. This book is heavily illustrated and contains a wealth of information on Scotland. The ISBN is 978-1-9161332-0-4. Also available via Kindle.