Glenfinnan is a lovely little hamlet in the Lochaber area, of the Highlands of Scotland, just 17 miles west from Fort William. It is located at the bottom of Loch Shiel and is surrounded by stunning scenery.
Glenfinnan is well known for the famous 21 arch viaduct, and the filming set for the 2nd and 3rd Harry Potter books. If you check the timetable of the Jacobite steam train before you go, you will be able to catch it as it travels across the viaduct, honking its horn halfway across. It is truly spectacular to see!
The Timetable
At the time we visited in May 2021, the steam train passed along the viaduct at 10.45 am and again at 1.15pm. However, before your visit it is worth checking the timetable yourself as times may change. The train often doesn’t run throughout the winter months too.
Here is their website to check out times and dates:
Car Parking
If you have travelling by car or motorhome, there are 2 different car parks, located next to each other. One car park is run by the National Trust and costs £5 to park a motorhome all day. The other car park is run by the community and it cost £6 to park a motorhome all day. Both slightly for a car.
The Viewpoint
To see the train passing over the viaduct and to get the best photos, I recommend heading up to the main viewpoint. It is all signposted and normally busy with tourists, so you can just follow the crowds.
The walk from the car park to the viewpoint is about a 0.5-mile walk. It’s not far to walk but it is uphill. I recommend getting there at least 30 minutes before the train is due to arrive to get your spot both in the car park and at the viewpoint. Especially in peak season, it can get very busy.
Flying A Drone
Flying a drone is allowed but you have a ring a number and pay £10 to the guy who owns the land. The number is out in the visitor car park. The money goes back into maintaining the grounds. The reason he does this is so he can control who’s flying a drone and how many there are at a time. Often in peak season, there are at least 6 drones going up at one time.
On our visit, the guy asked us to come out and meet him. He then asked us some questions about the laws about flying the drone, just to make sure we knew the drone safety laws. We also mentioned we had public liability insurance too. He was a nice guy and we had no problem flying the drone. The only 2 things we were not allowed to do: fly it over his house and fly it over the viaduct.
Easy Circular Walk
On our visit to the viaduct we decided to do a lovely walk. It was only a gentle 2.5 mile walk, but the views were stunning!
The walk starts and finishes in the car park and takes you right past the prime viewing point of the viaduct. As you walk on, you get incredible views over Loch Shiel. It is a walk not to be missed!
Here is my step by step guide along with the downloadable GPX file for the walk we did:
Follow this map, as you walk the route, you shouldn’t get lost! Make sure your location is turned on and you should be able to see exactly where you are, on this map. Or if you prefer, download the GPX file and use it on your choice of route tracker.
1.
Starting in either the National Trust car park or the community car park, head out of the car park towards the viaduct. Follow the path as it leads you uphill, passing under the viaduct, and up towards the viewing area. If you time your walk right, you might see the steam train pass over!
2.
At the viewing area, continue to follow the path as it heads west from the viaduct, along the side of the mountainside, towards Loch Shiel.
3.
Eventually, you will come to a path junction. Take the path that forks off to your left-hand side, leading you downhill towards a tunnel. Follow the path through the woodland area and up to the museum and Glenfinnan Train Station.
4.
At the train station, turn to your left-hand side and follow the road downhill to the main road. Turn right onto the main road and walk for a very short difference. You should soon see a track going off to your left-hand side.
5.
Carefully cross over the road and take the track. Follow the track back through the wooded area, past some houses, and back towards the car park, where you started the walk from.
If you enjoyed this walk and would like to try another walk in the Scottish Highlands, please check some of my other walking guides:
