The West Highland Line from Glasgow to Mallaig has been voted the world's most beautiful rail route, passing Loch Lomond, Rannoch Moor and the Glenfinnan Viaduct. However, locals in the tiny village of Glenfinnan have grown weary of the tourist influx that has surrounded the bridge since the Harry Potter films made it famous two decades ago.
Gliding through the Scottish Highlands past glistening lochs, ancient peaks and hauntingly barren yet breathtaking moorland, one traveller turned to his wife and said: "I think this is the most beautiful train line I've ever been on." She helpfully pointed out he had been on it before. Yet somehow, that didn't make it any less true – or any less spectacular.
The route through the Highlands
The legendary Glasgow-departing West Highland Line takes passengers deep into Scotland's west coast, rolling along the Clyde to Helensburgh before heading north via Garelochhead and Loch Long towards either Oban or Mallaig. Shortly after leaving Scotland's largest city behind, the sweeping, wind turbine-topped hills grow steadily more imposing as the Highlands loom ever closer.
Carrying passengers northward through Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park, the route splits at Crianlarich, sending travellers either past Loch Awe towards Oban, or high across the vast expanse of Rannoch Moor. The railway traverses this moorland for 23 miles, climbing to over 400 metres and delivering unrivalled views of one of Europe's last true wildernesses – an enormous sweep of blanket bog, lochans, rivers and rocky outcrops where curlews, grouse, roe deer and red deer roam freely.
Historic appeal of the moor
The moor's real moment in the spotlight came during the Victorian period, as initial apprehension about its wild and forbidding character gradually gave way to enthusiasm. Among its earliest visitors were poet William Wordsworth and his sister Dorothy, who arrived in 1803 and cautiously described the landscape as "desolate and extensive wild."
Just seven years later, Sir Walter Scott published his celebrated poem The Lady of the Lake, shining a spotlight on Loch Katrine in the Trossachs, just south of Rannoch Moor, and propelling the region to widespread fame. The verse inspired a generation of holidaymakers to visit and witness for themselves how "Summer dawn's reflected hue to purple changed Loch Katrine blue."
Glenfinnan Viaduct and local concerns
Undoubtedly, the most famous landmark on the route is the Glenfinnan Viaduct, which featured in the Harry Potter films as the path of the Hogwarts Express. You'll cross it on the way to Mallaig, the final stop on the 164-mile line. However, one traveller suggests giving the viaduct itself a miss, other than rolling over it. During a visit, persistent drizzle descended on a crowd of Potter enthusiasts who appeared rather underwhelmed by what awaited them: two pipers and some railway structures.
Residents of the tiny, 100-person village have long grown weary of the tourist influx that has surrounded the bridge since the Harry Potter films made it famous two decades ago. During the summer, 3,000 visitors head to the viaduct each day, piling onto the hillside ahead of the four daily arrivals of the classic Jacobite steam train. Footpaths are damaged by the 600,000 who make it each year, while parking spots are too few, meaning many end up on double-yellow lines.
"It is a real concern for our village, because we also need to get in and out and use this road. The environmental degradation you see is really awful to witness," Ally Entwistle, a local business owner, told ITV News last year.
Alternative stops and recognition
Mallaig itself is a far superior destination, offering superb whale-watching trips with frequent sightings of minke whales in these waters. Equally worth a stop is Corrour, Britain's highest-altitude railway station, which draws Trainspotting fans thanks to its memorable appearance in the film – and is every bit as striking and atmospheric as you might hope.
In 2009, readers of Wanderlust magazine crowned the West Highland Line the world's finest railway journey. Travel operator Mickledore puts it well: "The West Highland Line is more than a train ride – it's a living canvas of Scotland. Mountains, moors, lochs, wildlife and history unfold before you. It captures the essence of the Highlands like nothing else, and it earned its title as the most scenic journey for good reason."
