Jacobite Steam Train

Overview

The Jacobite Steam Train is run by West Coast Railways, a company based in England that runs a few other railway lines. They have only been operating the Jacobite since 1995, but it is now their most successful line, thanks to the popularity of the Harry Potter films.

The journey goes through some of Scotland’s most splendid scenery. Starting in Fort William, it travels along the shores of Loch Eil, stops for half an hour at Glenfinnan and continues to Mallaig, where there is a ferry service to the Isle of Skye.

The highlight of the journey is when the train crosses the Glenfinnan viaduct, where passengers get a stunning view towards the Glenfinnan Monument and Loch Shiel.

Jacobite Steam Train tickets can be booked Online, but a few tickets from late cancellations are sometimes available for purchase by Cash Only at the Fort William ticket office on the day of travel.

Click Here to Buy your Tickets.

If you miss the train, or if it is full, then the A830 road from Fort William to Mallaig drives very close to the railway line, and there are several small bridges that you can stand on whilst the train passes below you. The train only does about 50mph so it’s easy to keep pace with its route.

We advise against going to Glenfinnan when the train is due to cross the viaduct.

The traffic congestion and illegal parking on road verges is making life horrendous for the people who live in Glenfinnan. so we recommend that you stop elsewhere along the train route to get a photo.   

PLEASE NOTE: In the peak summer months, if you want to get parked near Glenfinnan viaduct, you need to arrive an hour before the train arrives as the spaces are limited and lots of people want to see the train crossing the viaduct. It is a Pay & Display car park (£3 at time of writing) so bring some £1 coins. 

From 1 May to 29 Sep (2023) the train crosses Glenfinnan viaduct 4 times a day at approximately the times in the table below:

We have a range of itineraries for Scotland tours that can feature a day trip on the Jacobite Steam train. You can use the filter options to only display tours that give the option for a day trip on the train.

The A830 road from Fort William to Mallaig closely follows the path of the Jacobite Steam Train and gives you lots of great opportunities to photograph the train. In the video below we show you some locations where you can view the train without the crowds that flock to the Glenfinnan viaduct.

If you click on the Yellow pins on the map below, you can view short videos of the "Harry Potter steam" train filmed at these locations.