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A tourist tour train in Scotland became famous worldwide when used to represent Hogwarts Express in the Harry Potter films franchise.
He Jacobita steam train It already had the right appearance: a black and steam locomotive and scarlet red wagons, which makes it the perfect substitute for Hogwarts Express. Add a 1200 -feet viaduct in the scottish highlands with mountains and lakes in the background, and will have a real life scene that seems to be created specifically for movies.
The good news is that The Hogwarts Express you saw in Harry Potter Films is a real trainAnd that now famous scene of the train crossing that the curved viaduct was not generated by computer at all.
It is not a surprise, then, that the Genfinnan viaduct It has become a popular tourist stop in the highlands for Harry Potter fans who want to see the “Express Hogwarts” in real life. (And it’s a great place, even if you’re not a Harry Potter fan).
But seeing the red train that crosses the viaduct of Glenfinnan is not just something that can appear and do when you want. It is something you should plan to get the right time.
And as someone who investigated and planned this and for a couple of friends in a Scotland road tripI thought I would share the things you need to know if you want to see the Harry Potter train for yourself.
The Jacobita/Jacobite Steam Train is a tourist train that operates in April-October in part of the Highland West line in Scotland between the cities of Malliag and Fort William in the Scottish highlands.
There has been a tourist train of some kind that executes this route since 1984, while the West Highlands line has existed since 1901. The short tourism train route was launched (the distance from Mallaig to Fort William is only 40 miles) He launched to boost tourism to this part of Scotland, and has been called West Highlander and Lochaber in the past.
Curious fact: The Jacobita is named after a political movement formed by supporters of the Catholic Monarchs Stuart, who were expelled from Great Britain during the Glorious Revolution. For decades, James II supporters of England fought to restore Stuarts such as Reyes, and this included several uprisings in the highlands (including the increase of 1745, which culminated in the battle of Culloden).
The train extends 7 days a week from the beginning of April until the end of October, with two daily exits from the beginning of May until the end of September.
In fact, I have mounted this train beforeAnd it’s a fun experience!
This publication is specifically seeing the train crossing Glenfinnan’s viaduct, but for that he will still need to know the train schedule.
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Harry Potter train schedule in 2025
There is a Jacobita train and late train service that begins and ends at Fort William during the high season in Scotland.
- The morning service is executed from April 7 to October 24, 2025
- The morning and afternoon service will be held from September 5 to 26, 2025
You will need to know the times when the train leaves Fort William and Mallaig to predict when it will cross the viaduct of Glenfinnan. Currently, the starting times are:
| Tomorrow | Late | |
| Leave Fort William | 10:15 am | 12:50 pm |
| Leave Mallaig | 2:10 pm | 5 pm |
It is always better to verify double Jacobite schedule website However, in case there are delays or cancellations.
What is Glenfinnan’s viaduct?
The Viaduct of Glenfinnan is a rail viaduct located near Loch Shiel in the Scottish highlands. It was built between 1897 and 1898 for the West Highland Railway.
The concrete viaduct has 100 feet high and 1250 feet long, which makes it the longest concrete railway bridge of Scotland.
It has become “famous”, so to speak, for Harry Potter movies, but there has been a visitors center near for years since it is also close to Lock Shiel and the Glenfinnan monument (which is dedicated to the highlanders who fought and They died in the Jacobita Rising of 1745).
Get to Glenfinnan
The easiest way to see the Jacobita crossing Glenfinnan’s viaduct is to drive there. Glenfinnan’s viaduct is out of the A830 approximately 1 hour from Glencoe, 2 hours from Invertity3 hours from Glasgow and 3.5 hours from Edinburgh by car This is the best way to make sure it can arrive at the right time to see the Jacobite cross the viaduct.
He will want to make the Glenfinnan visitors center, which is administered by National Trust and has a parking lot where he can park on £ 5. Now there is also a community parking lot next to the lot of the visitors center.
Professional Council: Arrive early! The parking lot can often fill around the time of Jacobitas crossing, so I recommend packing a picnic lunch and arriving early if you can. My friends and I arrived about an hour before an afternoon of July (the peak of the high season), and the lot was almost full.
* You can also * take a bus from Fort William (which can leave it right at the visitors center), or take a train to the Glenfinnan train station and then walk about 20 minutes to the visitors center. More information about non -conducting options here. These options only require additional planning to obtain the correct time.
How to see the train crossing Glenfinnan’s viaduct
Well, now for the important information you came for!
From May to September, it actually has four opportunities to see the Jacobite cross the Glenfinnan viaduct every day (2 times in each direction). For the most emblematic view, you will want to take the scarlet train while traveling west from Fort William to Mallaigsince that is the point of view where you will see the train, the viaduct and a mountain in the background.
When the train travels from Fort William, it crosses the viaduct approximately 30 minutes after departure.
When the train travels in the other address (in this direction from Mallaig to Fort William), it crosses the viaduct 45-60 minutes after the exit.
Viaduct crossing hours
Based on the Jacobita 2025 calendar, here are the moments in which the Harry Potter train will cross the Glenfinnan viaduct:
| Departure | Viaduct crossing | |
| Leave Fort William (tomorrow) | 10:15 am | 10:45 am |
| Leave from Mallaig (morning train) | 2:10 pm | 3 pm |
| Leave Fort William (afternoon) | 12:50 pm | 1:20 pm |
| Exit from Mallaig (afternoon train) | 5 pm | 5:55 pm |
However, keep in mind that these times are approximate, and it is not uncommon for the crossing to be a little later than predicted (when I went, the train crossed about 15 minutes later we expected).
The exact times expected that trains cross will be published in the Visitor Center of Glenfinnan every day.
Get to the point of view
From the Visitor Center of Glenfinnan, there is a short walk to the main observation area for the train.
For the recommended view (for trains that come from Fort William), a clearly marked path will follow from the parking area along the Finnan River and under the arches of the viaduct itself. You will want to turn left and upload a small hill to the observation area. (Just follow the crowd; you will not be alone).
It is marked on Google Maps like Glenfinnan Viaduct Viewpoint (West).
This walk has perhaps 15 minutes, and is mainly flat that is not the last section where you have to climb a small hill for the best observation area.
If you are there for the train that comes from the other address (from Mallaig), you will follow the same path until it crosses under the viaduct, and then you will move to the right and upload a different hill (marked as Glenfinnan viaduct point of view (this)). In this way, you can still see that the train is approaching, instead of seeing it from behind.
Professional Council: Use shoes that do not care wet/muddy, since the hills can be quite soft. (And in reality, I recommend that you always have a rain layer every time it is outdoors in Scotland. It is likely to be stopped on the hill for at least a time waiting for the train, so prepare for any climate!)
Seeing the Harry Potter train
As Jacobite approaches Glenfinnan’s viaduct, his horn will usually sound. You will also see the steam, so you will know that it comes (although in the warmer and more sunny days, the steam will not be a white cloud).
The train will also be reduced to speed while crossing the viaduct, which means that it will not need to hurry to get your photos. When I was there, the train took almost 2 full minutes to cross the Glenfinnan viaduct.
What happens if I lose the train?
What if you lose the train, or can you simply not make the schedule work to be there for one of Jacobita’s crosses? Alright! It is worth visiting the Glenfinnan viaduct even without the Harry Potter train.
The things you can do in Glenfinnan at any time include:
- See the screens at the Genfinnan Visitor Center (covering Jacobitas’s uprisings)
- Go up to a point of view just behind the visiting center (a 5-10 minutes rise) that offers incredible views of Lock Shiel and the viaduct
- Walk to one of the viaduct views anyway (it is still beautiful, and there are different trains of the jacobite that use it)
- Walk to Lake Shiel
- Visit or even climb the top of the Glenfinnan monument
If you want to miss the crowds and you really don’t mind watching the Harry Potter train, then I would advise you to plan your Glenfinnan visit at any time of the day! Highland’s landscape is beautiful here even without trains, and the Loh and the Visitors Center are worth it.
Read below: 9 Magical Harry Potter sites in Edinburgh, Scotland, each Muggle should see
See Hogwarts express something you would like to do in Scotland?
Amanda Williams is the award -winning blogger behind a dangerous business trip blog. He has traveled to more than 60 countries on 6 continents from his base of operations in Ohio, specializing in experimental and reflective trips through the United States, Europe and the rest of the world. Amanda only shares tips based on your personal experiences and places you have really traveled!
