A MOST BEAUTIFUL TRAIN RIDE ACROSS A MOST BEAUTIFUL SCOTLAND

THE JACOBITE STEAM TRAIN

“The Most Beautiful Country in the World” touts "The greatest railway journey in the world!" Travel east - west through Scotland’s Highlands on the Jacobite Steam Train, the real life model for Harry Potter’s Hogwarts Express, the beloved steampunk train appearing in Harry Potter films, which took Harry from from Platform 9 ¾ all the way to Hogwarts.

Also known as the Jacobite Express, this coal-fired steam train itself is a wonder, with magical vintage design flourishes. The route will take you through some of the most beautiful scenery, from mist-veiled lochs to sweeping glens to dramatic mountains, with magical stops along the way. Be sure to sit on the left side headed west and the right side headed back east for the best views.

Sample locally produced Scotch whiskeys along your journey. Stop and take in the rugged scenery along the way. And enjoy a taste of Scotland that spans many centuries.

While the views are the same, no matter which class of ticket you book on the train, First Class seats offer the most authentic, most beautiful experience.

Whichever class of travel you book on the Jacobite Steam Train, you can pretend you are riding the Hogwarts Express into another world.

To whet your appetite, before you board the Jacobite at its base in Fort William, start your trip nearby at Glen Coe, considered by many to be Scotland’s most scenic, most romantic, and most historic glen. Several Harry Potter films used this location.

A relatively short trip, just 84 miles round trip along the West Highland Line, the Jacobite is long on superlative beauty as it travels from Fort William westward to mainland Britain’s most westerly railway station, Arisaig, in the quaint village of Arisaig (the Safe Place), ending in the fishing port of Mallaig, before heading back east to Fort William.  

Work off some energy before you board the train at Fort William with a visit to Ben Nevis, Britain’s highest mountain. Take a short hike through the dramatic Nevis Gorge and towards the gorgeous cascades of Steall Falls, featured in Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire, as Harry faces down a Hungarian horntail dragon in the Triwizard Tournament.

As the Jacobite pushes westward, you will ride across the Glenfinnan Viaduct, which was used as the bridge to Hogwarts! Strikingly beautiful, its arched structure, with 21 graceful arches spans 380 metres long at a height of 31 metres.

The viaduct overlooks the majestic Loch Shiel, a key Harry Potter locale, and the Jacobite Monument then carries on to Glenfinnan Station where there is a small transport museum that explores the history of the line.

Your journey will weave westward, treating you great scenic beauty including views of  Loch Eil, which opens into Loch Linnhe near the town of Fort William, then onto Loch Morar, Britain’s deepest freshwater lake as well as Loch Nevis, Britain’s deepest seawater loch.

On the western side of your journey, as you pass Arisaig, you’ll catch views of the Small Isles of Rùm, Eigg, Muck and Canna, and the sparkling white sands of Morar before ending in Mallaig, where the film Breaking the Waves was largely filmed.

For a beautiful diversion, before you head back east on the Jacobite train, take a ferry from Mallaig to the incredible Isle of Skye, the largest and northernmost of the major islands in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland.

Browse the Hidden Highlands eBook for more undiscovered places along the West Highlands Railway.

And be sure to book your ticket well in advance for your beautiful ride on the Jacobite Steam Train.

Read more about Beautiful Scotland all this week on BeautifulNow.

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IMAGE CREDITS:

1. Image: by David Brossard. “The Jacobite Steam Train.” Fort William, Scotland.
2. Image: by Sonse. “Hogwarts Express, The Jacobite Steam Train.” West Highland Railway Line. Fort William, Scotland.
3. Image: by Steve Bracken. “Hogwarts Express, Spean Bridge.” Inverness Shire, Scotland.
4. Image: by David Sanz. “Glen Coe.” Glen Coe, Scotland.
5. Image: by Gordon. “Jacobite Steam Train.” Fort William, Scotland.
6. Image: by Tatters. “Steall Falls in Glen Nevis ("Harry Potter's waterfall").” Glen Nevis, Scotland.
7. Image: by 96tommy. “Glenfinnan Viaduct.” Glenfinnan, Scotland.
8. Image: by Andrew. “Eighteenth Century Jacobite.” Glenfinnan Monument & Loch Shiel. Glenfinnan, Scotland.
9. Image: by Oliver Clarke. “St Dubhthach Church & Clachan Duich Burial Ground.” Near Glen Shiel. Ault a’ Chruinn, Scotland.
10. Image: by Matt Sharpe  “The Jacobite.” Highlands, Scotland.
11. Image: by Christoph Strässler. “The Jacobite Steam Train, Loch Linnhe.” Oban, Scotland.
12. Image: by Lebensringer. “Loch Shiel.” Glenfinnan, Scotland.
13. Image: by Christoph Strässler. “The Jacobite Steam Train.” Fort William, Scotland.
14. Image: by Andrew Macpherson. “Ready for off, Fort William.” Fort William, Scotland.
15. Image: by BN App - Download now!
16. Image: by Matt Sharpe. “The Jacobite, Fort William to Mallaig.” Highlands, Scotland.