Discover where to see the Jacobite Steam Train near Arisaig and beyond

Where to see the Jacobite Steam Train

Whether you call it by its proper name, The Jacobite, or by its more recent additional name of the Harry Potter steam train or the Hogwarts Express train, the big question is where to see this most famous of locomotives?

Below, I share some of my favourite spots to watch the train pass by and give a rough time to see it but make sure you arrive early to allow time to find the exact spot and in case the train is early.

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Train Stations

The obvious places would be the train stations. If you go to Arisaig Station or Morar Station, you’ll see it close up as it passes through and at Mallaig station, you’ll see it pulling up and standing for a couple of hours before heading back to Fort William.

If you go to Arisaig Station around 2:30 (except Saturday), you’ll actually get to see both trains passing through! As the track ahead is a single track, the one from Fort William has to wait until the one coming from Mallaig has passed to be able to continue its journey.

You can also see it passing through Beasdale Station and there’s room enough to park your car long enough to watch it. It passes about an hour and 40 minutes after leaving Fort William.

Arisaig

Sometimes I prefer to watch it from further away to see it in its full glory. My favourite spot to do this is from Creag Mhor, the big hill at the back of Arisaig that you see on the road to Mallaig. Don’t go too high up or the train will be hard to see.

So how to get there. I usually go by the road that goes to the foot of Creag Mhor which is the turn off to Kinloyd. You pass this soon after Arisaig village on your way towards Mallaig. It’s not a paved road so not everyone will want to drive down there and its not suitable for camper vans, so you might choose to walk.

After you pass a campsite on your right and a farm, keep going and before long, you’ll see a cleared area for parking on the right and from there a path going up under the railway bridge and up towards the mast on the hill.

Be sure to close the gate behind you and find yourself a good viewpoint a bit further up, but not too far. (It’s actually been padlocked recently so you’ll need to climb over.) You might also want to watch for the train coming back from Mallaig to Fort William later.

The other route is behind Arisaig Station and you may as well go early and have a nice walk at least part the way up the hill too for great views of Arisaig and over to Loch Morar. There are worn paths but good footwear is always advisable especially as it can be wet.

The train passes here around 20 minutes before arriving at or leaving Mallaig.

Morar

Another great spot is from the Morar Cross. You can find the steps to climb up next to the rail crossing at Morar Station. It’s quite steep but worth it as it also gives you a great view over the Sands of Morar on one side and Loch Morar on the other.

It takes about ten minutes for the train to travel between Mallaig and Morar so you can time your visit based on that.

If you don’t have the energy to climb up, walk down the road towards River Morar and on the right you’ll see a wall and a large gap with no trees where you can get a good view coming from either direction. Further down, next to the river, you can see it going over the viaduct but you don’t get a full view.

You can also see it from the hill behind Morar train station and you’ll hear it passing by if you’re enjoying yourself at the Silver Sands of Morar.

Mallaig

In Mallaig, apart from the station, another spot to watch it in action is at the parking bay on the main coastal road. This is about a kilometre before the paid West Bay Car Park and Mallaig railway station.

When to see the Jacobite steam train at Mallaig and Arisaig

It takes around 20-30 minutes for the train to travel between Arisaig and Mallaig, add on a few extra minutes to make sure you don’t miss it. It sits in Mallaig station until departure but may move from the platform.

See the timetable for departure and arrival times. Morning service runs from 4 Apr to 28 Oct but afternoon service only from 2 May to 30 Sept.

Where to see the Jacobite Steam Train on the way to Arisaig?

Glenfinnan

Glenfinnan is the most popular choice and the viaduct seems to be the favourite view so let’s start with that. Nowadays, you can only park in the two official car parks and both have a fee of around £3. One is next to the visitor centre where you can also buy souvenirs of the area and Harry Potter merchandise.

At Glenfinnan Viaduct, you have two options, watch it from the fields below the bridge or walk up to the viewpoint. The trail is signposted and takes you under the bridge, probably taking around 20-30 mins. Again, wear decent footwear as it may be wet.

Glenfinnan Station Museum

The next option to see the ‘Hogwarts Express’ steam train is at Glenfinnan Station. The best way to do this one is to arrive early so you can get parked, have coffee and cake or lunch in the lovely Glenfinnan Station Museum Cafe in the old train carriages, then visit Glenfinnan Station Museum and wait for the Jacobite steam train to come in.

If it’s coming from Fort William, the train stays there for about 15 minutes so you have time to see it and you can also buy from the Harry Potter shop on board the train.

These photos were taken a couple of years ago and it’s just been renovated but still has the classic look. They use local and sustainable suppliers (including Arisaig Bread Shed) and the Glenfinnan Dining Car Cafe is one of my favourite stops on the way up to Arisaig. Don’t miss the delicious Highland Fold ice-cream!

It doesn’t end there. Having had tasty treats at the cafe, learnt something new at the museum, seen the train on the platform,and bought yet more Harry Potter items to fill up your house, don’t hang around too long because it’s time to head a couple of miles up the road and find somewhere to park safely on the roadside and wait for the train to come.

It’ll be on your left. You can actually get closer than this just a bit further on. Only stop if you can park safely though.

See vacation rentals in Glenfinnan

Polnish

There are two spots for great views and shots here. The first, on Polnish Railway Cottage Rd off the A830, goes near Polnish Church. For this one, if it’s a photo or video you’re after, you need to catch it coming from Fort William and then you get the church and mountains in too.

The second is on the bridge near that spot. There’s a layby near where you can park safely. The train passes these locations about an hour and a half after leaving Fort William.

Loch nan Uamh Viaduct

A few minutes on from Polnish is Loch nan Uamh Viaduct where the train passes over the road. There are a couple of spots before where you could park and walk up.

No train in this photo but it gives an idea of what to expect. The train crosses the viaduct about an hour and 35 mins after leaving Fort William or around an hour after leaving Mallaig.

You can also see it crossing from the other side, from the rocks and some parts of the coast near The Prince’s Cairn. For photos, you’d need a zoom lens but you could explore parts further along the shore. It’s not a smooth walk and the viaduct goes in and out of view as you walk from the Cairn.

Train times

These are the times for the 2025 Jacobite steam train service. Changes may occur.

	Morning Service	Afternoon Service
Dep. Fort William	10:15	12.50
Arr. Mallaig	12:26	15.06
Dep. Mallaig	14:10	17.00
Arr. Fort William	16:03	18.52

Taking the train

Finally, if you’d like to book the Jacobite Steam Train, you can buy a day return ticket, standard or first class For an extra special touch, book a private table, a compartment or add a cream tea to be served on your journey! However, if it’s the views you’re going for, go for the much cheaper alternative train.

Find places to stay in Fort William

If you’re not staying locally, you can see options to book a full tour including the steam train here.

Read about Scotland’s great train journeys at Visit Scotland.

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