Scottish Highlands masterclass – stunning scenery, a famous viaduct and a jacobite monument.
With the weather forecast for freezing fog when Rudy packed his daytrip bag little did we think we would enjoy a spectacular day exploring the Glenfinnan trail from station to viaduct to monument. The scenery was so beautiful and the weather so much better than expected that we stopped for picnics on the hill and at the loch side!
Glenfinnan station itself is lovely with a great original building now housing a railway museum and in summer season a railway carriage cafe but the big attraction is the nearby movie-famous Glenfinnan Viaduct.
The walk from Glenfinnan Station is a little steep in places but not too strenuous. Rudy loved it, running up & down hills and jumping through the heather all the way to our first picnic spot at a viewpoint over the glen and viaduct. The Glenfinnan Viaduct is the largest concrete railway bridge in Scotland, spanning 380 metres with 21 arches that are 30m above the River Finnan. Maybe most people these days know it as the Harry Potter bridge – in Summer the Jacobite Steam train even runs as a real life Hogwarts Express! The old railway signs name it simply as “Bridge 65”!!
Glenfinnan Viaduct Glenfinnan Monument
Choosing a circular walk from Glenfinnan station meant Rudy walked back via the Glenfinnan Monument. The tower was built in 1815 to commemorate Bonnie Prince Charlie raising his royal standard at Glenfinnan marking the beginning of the 1745 Jacobite Rising.
Set on the shores of Loch Shiel Rudy can’t think of a more dramatic setting for a memorial! There is a visitor centre here with cafe, gift shop and a small history exhibition all about Prince Charles Edward Stuart and the 1745 Jacobite Rising.
