It’s no secret on the blog: I’m a huge Harry Potter fan. I love the books, I love the movies, I’ve been to the theme park in Orlando and the studio tour outside London, I’ve hunted down a million and one film locations in England, I’ve run Harry Potter tours in York, and I’ve even got a lightning bolt tattoo on my ankle. So when I was planning out things to see on my road trip up to the Scottish Highlands, I knew I wanted to see the Glenfinnan Viaduct!

The viaduct was used during filming of the Harry Potter movies. It particularly rose to fame after Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. It was famously featured when Harry and Ron were flying the car and the Hogwarts Express was catching up with them!

The best part of visiting the Glenfinnan Viaduct is that there is a real-life Hogwarts Express you can ride on! The Jacobite Steam Train is a steam-hauled, heritage train, and goes between Fort William and Mallaig twice a day. (For more information on the Jacobite and to book, check out their website!) Seeing the Jacobite Steam Train go over the viaduct was a major bucket list goal for me—and on my trip to Scotland, I got to make it happen!

There’s free parking in a small parking lot just next to the Glenfinnan Visitor Center. If you’re going east on the A830, it’s the next turn on the right after the Visitor Center. It does fill up quickly though—I strongly recommend getting there by 9:00am. There’s some other parking off the road, but I wouldn’t really park there. Although, plans for a new car park have very recently been approved!

The Jacobite Steam Train goes across the Glenfinnan Viaduct twice a day. In the morning, it goes across at about 10:45am. In the afternoon, it crosses the viaduct at about 3:15pm.

When I went to see Glenfinnan Vidauct, I got to the parking lot just before 9:00am. I walked out towards the viaduct, scoped out all the best photo spots, and took a lot of pictures when I had the whole glen to myself. If you have the time, I really do suggest going early to check out where you’ll want to take your photos from!

The Jacobite Steam Train crossed Glenfinnan Viaduct at approximately 10:49am. Even if you don’t have lots of time, you should get to your photo spot about 20-30 minutes before the train is due to cross.

There will most likely be a lot of other people taking photos. On the day I saw it, the train tooted its horn and gave off a big gust of steam as it was going over the viaduct!

My chosen spot was at the top of the hill, to the left of the main path. I knew it would be a good location and make a good shot. But the fact that a professional photographer leading a photography tour came up there as well made me feel quite pleased!

You’ll also get great photos if you follow the trail under the viaduct, and up the path and the steps. You can just about look down on the tracks from above!

If you’re taking your drone out, you should get permission beforehand from Alistair. Not only did I walk past a drone nailed to a shed (!), but it’s just polite. There’s a sign with a number to call. And I did see Alistair when I was out—he introduced himself to some hikers.

The Glenfinnan Monument is certainly worth a visit. On the banks of Loch Shiel, there’s a giant monument to the clansmen who followed Bonnie Prince Charlie during his infamous uprising in 1745. The monument was erected in 1815 and is 18 meters high.

The Glenfinnan Visitor Center has an exhibition about the 1745 Jacobite Uprising. They also have toilets, a gift shop, and a café. The center is run by the National Trust of Scotland. Parking at the center is £3. Even though it costs money to park, the parking lot still gets completely full for the train crossing.

If you’re coming all this way, make sure to check out Loch Shiel. It was used as a filming location in Harry Potter as well! The loch was most famous in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire as the lake at Hogwarts. It was the backdrop for the second task of the Triwizard Tournament.

If you’re a Harry Potter fan and visiting Scotland, a visit to the Glenfinnan Viaduct is a must! This is one of the most famous sites in the Scottish Highlands, and I honestly can’t recommend visiting enough. Time your visit to see the Hogwarts Express (Jacobite Steam Train) crossing the viaduct—it’s simply magical! On my next trip to Scotland, I’m hoping to take the train itself.

“No story lives unless someone wants to listen. The stories we love best do live in us forever. So whether you come back by page or by the big screen, Hogwarts will always be there to welcome you home.”

Are you a Harry Potter fan? Have you visited any locations from the films?!

You might like my other Harry Potter post:

5 Harry Potter Places To Visit In Edinburgh

Check out my other Scotland posts:

Scottish Highlands Road Trip: What To See In Glencoe

Visiting The Scottish Border Abbeys In One Day: Jedburgh, Kelso, Dryburgh, And Melrose

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