Friday, July 06, 2007


GLENFINNAN VIADUCT
The Road to The Isles (Rathad nan Eilean)

The long reaches of Loch Shiel are veiled by steep mountains, and the rallying there of some 1,200 Highlanders must have been an awe-inspiring sight when the Prince arrived from Loch Nan Uamh on 19 August 1745.

In 1896 a mail steamer began a service along the loch to connect Acharacle with the railway at Glenfinnan. The Jacobite Steam Train and other trains regularly run this route, and just before arriving at Glenfinnan from the direction of Fort William, the line crosses a spectacular arched viaduct. The Glenfinnan viaduct recently came to prominence in the Harry Potter films, when the Jacobite Steam Train became transformed into the Hogwarts Express and was filmed crossing the viaduct. It also appears and will be appearing in subsequent Harry Potter films. The imposing arches of the famous viaduct carry the railway across the glen to Glenfinnan Station.

No comments: