Glenfinnan Viaduct Tips to Visit and Take the Best Photos

The Glenfinnan Viaduct is a viaduct in the West Highland Line in Glenfinnan, Inverness-shire, Scotland. It was constructed from 1897 to 1901. The location was originally popular for tourists visiting the Glenfinnan Monument: a tribute to those who died fighting for the Jacobite cause. However, when the Glenfinnan Viaduct and Jacobite Steam Train were filmed in the Harry Potter movies, it became an exponentially popular destination for tourists. If you’ve seen the movies, you will definitely recognize the iconic shot of the Hogwarts Express, aka the Harry Potter Train, over the viaduct. With it’s popularity, it’s become increasingly more difficult (and busy) to visit when the train is passing over the viaduct but have no fear! Here are the ultimate Glenfinnan Viaduct tips for visiting and getting the perfect photo.

Viaduct: a long bridge-like structure, typically a series of arches, carrying a road or railroad across a valley or other low ground.

Where is the Glenfinnan Viaduct

The Glenfinnan Viaduct is in Scotland, about 30 minutes west of Fort William. If you’re driving, it is about 3 hours northwest of Glasgow, and 2 hours southwest of Inverness. The official address is:

A830 Rd, Glenfinnan PH37 4LT, United Kingdom

Once you park in the car park near the visitor centre, walk along the path to the valley where the viaduct is. It’s about a 5-10 minute walk and relatively easy. You can’t miss it!

When to Visit the Glenfinnan Viaduct

You can visit the viaduct year round! The summer months offer spectacular greenery in the backdrop but cold weather of the winter months means the steam will be more defined. Of course, if you visit on September 1 you might actually see the Hogwarts Express!

When to see the Jacobite Steam Train Passing on the Glenfinnan Viaduct

The Jacobite Steam Train travels from Fort William to Mallaig and back twice a day. The best times to visit are when the train is travelling TO Mallaig, around 10:45 AM and 3:15 PM. The train will be facing you in your photos, which really adds that extra “WOW” factor. If you book a day tour with a tour company, they’ll get you there on time!

How to Photograph the Glenfinnan Viaduct

The Glenfinnan Viaduct is photographic from every angle. Set in a valley of rolling hills in Scotland, your photos will be iconic no matter where you stand! The most popular is from the Glenfinnan Viaduct viewpoint above but from below or in-line works perfectly too. From below, you might be lucky to catch some wildflowers in your photos.

If you want the steam plume to stand out in photos, you’ll need to go in cooler weather. As the hot steam leaves the train, it cools quickly in the air and produces a fantastic plume for photos, see below.

NOTE: Drones are not permitted to take photos in the area.

Glenfinnan Viaduct Tips for Photos and Videos WITHOUT People

While having a DSLR or mirrorless camera gives you *improved* capabilities for editing, you can absolutely take photos and videos with your phone! You will need a tripod to do so, but there are some reasonably affordable ($20-$30) tripods for phones that are lightweight and will help improve your photography while travelling. The photo taken below was taken on my iPhone 11 and edited in CapCut, a free editing software.

What’s great is you do not need to get there super early – in fact, I got there about 20 minutes before the train arrived and was still able to get amazing photos with NO people! (Getting there early for parking is another issue, see above). You will need a tripod and some patience to wait for the crowd to clear.

Harry Potter fans: dress up in your house colours, or in your best muggle outfit, for a nostalgic photo to treasure forever.

Read more: Step by Step Guide for Glenfinnan Viaduct Photos with NO People

Can I Ride on the Jacobite Steam Train?

Whether you want a scenic ride through the Scotland highlands, or you want to live out your dreams of riding on the Hogwart’s express, you CAN ride on the train! The Jacobite Steam Train is run by West Coast Railways. It travels twice daily from Fort William to Mallaig. The ride takes about two hours from Fort William to Mallaig, includes about an hour in Mallaig and then rides back to Fort William.

The train runs twice a day, seven days a week from April to October. Tickets book up quickly, especially in peak tourist season (July and August). If you plan to book the train, book early! You can add specials, such as a bottle of champagne or high tea!