Glenfinnan Viaduct

Highland, United Kingdom

Glenfinnan Viaduct is a railway viaduct on the West Highland Line. Located at the top of Loch Shiel in the West Highlands, the viaduct overlooks the Glenfinnan Monument and the waters of Loch Shiel.

The West Highland Railway was built to Fort William by Lucas and Aird, but there were delays with the West Highland Railway Mallaig Extension (Guarantee) bill for the Mallaig Extension Railway in the House of Commons as the Tory and Liberal parties fought over the issue of subsidies for public transport. This Act did pass in 1896, by which time Lucas & Aird (and their workers) had moved south. New contractors were needed and Robert McAlpine & Sons were taken on with Simpson & Wilson as engineers. Robert McAlpine & Sons was headed by Robert McAlpine, nicknamed 'Concrete Bob' for his innovative use of mass concrete. Concrete was used due to the difficulty of working the hard schist in the area. McAlpine's son Robert, then aged 28, and his nephew William Waddell, took charge of construction, with his younger son Malcolm appointed as assistant.

Construction of the extension from Fort William to Mallaig began in January 1897, and the line opened on 1 April 1901. The Glenfinnan Viaduct, however, was complete enough by October 1898 to be used to transport materials across the valley.

Glenfinnan Viaduct has been used as a location in several films and television series, including Ring of Bright Water, Charlotte Gray, Monarch of the Glen, Stone of Destiny, German Charlie und Louise, and four films of the Harry Potter film series.

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    Glenfinnan, Highland, United Kingdom
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    Details

    Founded: 1897-1901
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    More Information

    www.visitscotland.com
    en.wikipedia.org

    Rating

    4.7/5 (based on Google user reviews)

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    User Reviews

    Artem Sinelnikov (15 days ago)
    Lovers of British history and Harry Potter fans alike rejoice at this magnificent sight. Make sure to bring a tripod for your camera and check the train crossing schedule for some truly memorable pictures and videos.
    Magda Smich (2 months ago)
    This place is truly magical. It's a 5 minute walk from the car park to the viaduct. There is a footpath all the way to the Glenfinnan train station but it's a longer walk, with some amazing viewpoints on the way, where you can see the whole viaduct and the Glenfinnan monument together with Loch Shiel and the mountains surrounding it. Spectacular, and so worth visiting! We come here every time we are in the Fort William area and it never gets old!
    Abdul Rabbani Shah (3 months ago)
    Lovely rail bridge dating back a century. Would recommend the short walk up to get better views. Look at the website for train crossing times during summer
    Marek Vyhnicka (4 months ago)
    I recommend to drive to the car park near the train station and take trail (around 30min). You will get stunning views of surrounding areas and lakes. Be ready for rain and have proper weather proof clothes to enjoy this trek.
    tim malloy (4 months ago)
    A thought castlecary viaduct was better
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