Better known as the Hogwarts Express, the Jacobite Steam Train attracts a whole host of tourists every year as it chugs through the Scottish countryside.
Train enthusiasts who are yet to embark on this 84-mile railway trip in Scotland may do so in 2025 as a new timetable is released. The Jacobite Steam Train sets off from Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in Scotland, taking around two hours to snake through the countryside, offering panoramic views along the way. It’s a six hour round trip for anyone who intends to do the return leg of the journey.
Some of the notable places the train passes ranges from freshwater Loch Morar – Britain’s deepest – and the River Morar, dubbed Britain’s shortest. The deepest seawater loch in Europe, Loch Nevis, is also seen on passing. Despite the endless nature sightings, countryside and views, Harry Potter fans may board this train for an entirely different reason. The historic steam train, which was remodelled as the Hogwarts Express, crosses the Glenfinnan Viaduct, famously featured in the Harry Potter films as the route to the Hogwarts.
Fans may even recognise some of the carriages from the films, where Harry Potter would often meet his two friends, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley as they returned to school for another term.
The journey from Nevis to Mallaig has various stops, with the West Coast Railways confirming: “The train stops en route to Mallaig at the village of Glenfinnan Beyond Glenfinnan are the beautiful villages of Lochailort, Arisaig, Morar and Mallaig. You may alight at Arisaig by request to the guard. From here, on a clear summer’s day, you can see the “Small Isles” of Rum, Eigg, Muck, Canna and the southern tip of Skye.”
Once the train has arrived at Mallaig, passengers are given more than an hour to explore. There’s a range of shops, bars and restaurants to pick from with “plenty of fish and chips” to be enjoyed over what’s called the lunchtime stopover, before the train embarks on its return route.
The service runs in season, from April to October, seven days per week operating a morning and an afternoon service comes into play from May to September – again seven days per week. Prices are not cheap, with an adult day return priced at £105 for first class passengers, or £69 for standard. Tickets are only for return trips, with no single fares accepted. A private table for two costs £229.