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A train crosses the viaduct above wind-swept heather.

Scotland · GlenfinnanHighland Railway

Since 1901, trains have crossed this curving 21-arch viaduct on their way to the west coast.

What you’ll hear

  • Highland breeze
  • Stream
  • Train
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In the 3D scene you can change the time, season and weather, or follow the local time.

About this place

Glenfinnan sits at the head of Loch Shiel in the West Highlands. Its viaduct was begun in 1897 and opened in 1901: 21 arches, 380 m long and 30 m high, cast in concrete with no steel reinforcement, the longest concrete railway bridge in Scotland. Bluebells and gorse flower in May, heather turns the slopes purple-pink in August, bracken and grass go rust-brown by October, and in winter the snow line drops to mid-slope.

A steam engine hauls four carriages over the viaduct; in real life the steam excursions run only from about April to October. Highland cattle graze by the burn, with blackface sheep and red deer on the slopes, and from September to November the stags roar at dawn and dusk. Ravens and golden eagles circle over the glen, and in summer a pair of black-throated divers rides Loch Shiel. The monument at the head of the loch dates from 1815 and marks where the Jacobites raised their standard in 1745.

Through the year

HeatherSteam trains
123456789101112

A rough guide from published sources; steam train dates vary from year to year.

Month by month

  1. JanuarySnow line at mid-slope; under 8 hours of daylight
  2. FebruaryThe coldest month; snow on the tops
  3. MarchLonger days; snow lingers up high
  4. AprilLambs are born; steam season usually begins
  5. MayBluebells and gorse bloom; cuckoos call
  6. JuneNearly 18 hours of daylight; nights never fully dark
  7. JulyFoxgloves fade; heather starts late in the month
  8. AugustHeather in full bloom on the slopes
  9. SeptemberHeather fades; the stags begin to roar
  10. OctoberBracken turns rust; steam season ends
  11. NovemberThe wettest months begin; trees are bare
  12. DecemberUnder 7 hours of daylight

Four seasons

  • Late May · Spring

    Trees in fresh leaf, bluebells at the wood’s edge, gorse in gold and lambs on the slopes.

  • Mid-August · Heather

    Heather at its peak, whole slopes purple-pink and the grass at its tallest.

  • Early October · Autumn

    The heather is over, bracken rusts, birches turn gold and stags roar at dawn and dusk.

  • Mid-January · Winter

    Bare branches, a snow line at mid-slope and thin patches of snow on the ground.

Best moments

  • The viaduct in high summer

    The viaduct in high summer

    Aug 15 · 13:25 · Clear

    An August afternoon: heather across the hillside and a steam train coming onto the viaduct.

  • Summer dusk

    Summer dusk

    Aug 15 · 20:35 · Clear

    Half past eight: the hills turn purple-red in the afterglow and the arches catch the light.

  • Spring dawn

    Spring dawn

    May 20 · 05:25 · Clear

    Just after five on a May morning, mist still in the glen and pink along the skyline.

  • Autumn evening

    Autumn evening

    Oct 10 · 18:10 · Clear

    An October evening: the slopes gone golden brown and low sun on the stone viaduct.

  • Summer blue hour

    Summer blue hour

    Aug 15 · 22:00 · Clear

    At ten on a summer night the sky is still deep blue, the cottage lit and a train steaming across.

  • Snow in the Highlands

    Snow in the Highlands

    Jan 18 · 12:30 · Snow

    January snow covers the slopes and the viaduct stands out in the pale glen.

  • Beneath the arches

    Beneath the arches

    Aug 15 · 13:25 · Clear · Passing train

    Down below the arches, looking up as the burn runs between the piers.

  • Loch Shiel

    Loch Shiel

    Aug 15 · 13:25 · Clear · Loch light

    Turning the other way to the loch, with cloud shadows drifting down the glen.

The glen and viaduct are an artistic re-creation, not surveyed terrain. The real viaduct is concrete, painted here as warm stone, and real steam trains don’t run in winter or at night. The train, the burn and some animal calls were recorded elsewhere.

In the 3D scene you can change the time, season and weather, or follow the local time.

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