Glenfinnan ( The tower's construction was funded partially by the wealth accrued from slave plantations in Jamaica owned by Macdonald's father, also named Alexander. The statue of an anonymous Highlander, made by John Greenshields and referred to at the point of commission as Stuart himself, was added in 1835.

Railway

thumb|upright=1.2|[[Glenfinnan Viaduct and steam train at Glenfinnan]]

Station

is about halfway between Fort William and Mallaig on the picturesque West Highland Railway. Along with a regular rail service by ScotRail, the line is used by the Jacobite steam train. A private railway museum operates at the station, using the former booking-office, the disused signalbox, and some stored coaches.

Viaduct

Sir Robert McAlpine constructed the Glenfinnan Viaduct between 1897 and 1898. The structure, which is built entirely out of concrete, has 21 arches with spans of and reaches a height of above the valley. To commemorate the viaduct's centenary in 1997, a plaque was unveiled at the base of one of its arches.

The landscape in which the viaduct is located has made it popular with film producers. In 1969, it was used in Ring of Bright Water, starring Bill Travers and Virginia McKenna.

It has since come to prominence in the cinematic releases of the Harry Potter series. The Hogwarts Express, is filmed crossing the viaduct in several of the films beginning with Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets in 2002. The train filmed is the Jacobite Steam-Locomotive Train, a tourist train.

In the Highlander universe, Connor and Duncan MacLeod are both Scots born in Glenfinnan in 1518 and 1592, respectively. Eilean Donan castle is used as a stand-in for Glenfinnan in the franchise.

References

  • Welcome to Glenfinnan
  • 29 large image slide show of Glenfinnan for phones to 60 inch TVs
  • Photographs and Information from Strolling Guides
  • Glenfinnan Community Council