One of the Greatest Train Journeys in the World

Back to the place we were few years ago, Fort William, but finally on this occasion we prepared very well in advance and pre-booked everything in order to enjoy what we really wanted and pretty much the reason for coming back here: taking the Jacobite Express and visiting Eilean Donan castle. Although for many of you (including myself some years ago), it might sound more familiar if I name the train instead as the Hogwarts Express. Familiar now? That’s right, this is the same train used on all of the Harry Potter movies. The same locomotive, carriages and absolutely the same route with its distinctive Glenfinnan Viaduct.

A note in here, as I was wrong when I first came to know this railway some years ago and which perhaps you wonder on the same mistake, the Jacobite Express is a much older runner than even when the first Harry Potter book was being conceived. It’s a historic railway line that is nowadays mainly open as a tourist destination using old carriages and steam locomotives. So definitely no, this is not a new railway done for the movie, instead, the movie is based on a real railway.

The best and easiest way to reach this place is flying to Glasgow where we took a rental car and drove all the way up to Fort William in the Scottish Highlands. Since it’s a route we already did on our Scotland road tour some years ago we were not looking this time too much on stopping around for sightseeing and enjoying the views. Instead we drove quite directly to the hotel, had lunch and left straight away for Eilean Donan castle, another 60 miles away from Fort William. Should you be a first time visitor in Scotland then be prepared to calculate plenty of time as you will want to stop everywhere along the way to enjoy the spectacular views and nature. And yes, even if you do not drive, this all can be done by bus and by tour.

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