J is for the Jacobite Railway

We're back off up to Scotland today on the A to Z Tour of Harry Potter Filming Locations - into the Highlands, and riding on the Hogwarts Express itself, otherwise known as the Jacobite Steam Train. 

Riding the Jacobite in Scotland

Owned by West Coast Railways, the Jacobite steam train runs from Fort William in the Scottish Highlands through to Mallaig on the western coast.  The website claims it to be "one of the greatest railway journeys of the world" and I agree it is pretty impressive.  You travel from the base of Scotland's highest mountain (Ben Nevis), past freshwater lakes, rivers, and finally end up at the sea.  The scenery is spectacular throughout the journey - if your camera takes good moving pictures, you can wind up with some impressive shots.

The scenes that were filmed on Rannoch Moor rather than the Fort William-Mallaig line

Which is why the overhead footage of the Hogwarts Express was so visually engaging and breathtaking.  Nearly all of the footage of the Hogwarts Express in action was filmed along this 42 mile stretch of train track (I go into more detail in the S post - stay tuned).  So much so, that it is easier for me to tell you what wasn't filmed here than what was.  The long flat stretch in The Half-Blood Prince and The Deathly Hallows when the Death Eaters stop the Hogwarts Express - they were filmed on Rannoch Moor, also in Scotland.  That about covers it.

The top photo is the view we had from a boat on Loch Shiel

Most notably of course is the Glenfinnan Viaduct - the large curved bridge that sits 100 feet above the ground.  Leaning carefully out of the window, I was able to snap some shots of the train as it passed over the bridge.  There is a walk around Glenfinnan which gives you a great view of the Viaduct and Loch Shiel, however it's not advisable to head out during the train's brief stop at Glenfinnan station - unless you don't want to complete the rest of your journey of course.  Come back another day with a car.  Or take a boat out on Loch Shiel - that gives you a good view too, and is what we did.  If your driver times it right, you can watch the steam trains pass over the Viaduct.

The Hogwarts Express at the Warner Bros Studio Tour

The Hogwarts Express itself was originally one of the Jacobite trains, and stories abounded that when you took this railway journey, if you were lucky, you would be riding behind the actual train used as the Hogwarts Express.  I don't know if that was ever the case, but it's certainly not any more - the Hogwarts Express is now on display at the Warner Bros. Studio Tour in Leavesden.

Happy travels,

Ros

P.S. I'm still madly stitching away over at Fangirl Stitches.  Today's J's are Jigglypuff and John Winchester.