Glenfinnan is located on the A830, the Road to the Isles, which runs from [wiki=586e5fa25c16bd09e3e9cfc7cc269360]Fort William[/wiki] to [wiki=f88d7cd42561687a9a23a1e64012b799]Mallaig[/wiki].
Glenfinnan is on the [wiki=2bb50062adb4064e26dfe4f61a42d1a9]West Highland Railway[/wiki], with daily services from [wiki=d586293d554981ed611ab7b01316d2d5]Glasgow[/wiki], [wiki=586e5fa25c16bd09e3e9cfc7cc269360]Fort William[/wiki] and [wiki=f88d7cd42561687a9a23a1e64012b799]Mallaig[/wiki] operated by ScotRail.
Just before reaching Glenfinnan station, north/west-bound trains cross the spectacular Glenfinnan Viaduct , a hundred-year-old stone arched rail bridge which was brought to fame in the Harry Potter movies (the bridge also features on the Bank of Scotland £10 note). Sit on the left of the train for the best views down the loch and towards the Monument.
A single from Fort William to Glenfinnan costs around £5.10, and a day return is £6. If you have a Highland Railcard (for people who live in the Highlands only), a discount of 50% applies. These passes DO have photo ID.
Check for timetables and updates on prices: [http://www.scotrail.co.uk]
In summer, the West Coast Railway company runs a special steam train service along this line to Mallaig, which is popular with tourists and day-trippers, especially due to the associations with the Harry Potter franchise.
Glenfinnan is on two local bus routes - buses to Mallaig and buses to Acharacle, both from Fort William. The bus company is called Shiel Buses, whose base is in Acharacle. They do other routes to Kilchoan and a local route for the Mallaig area. Buses leave Fort William 3-4 times a day, Monday to Saturday. A single to Glenfinnan is £2.70, a day return £3.50.
Check for timetables: [http://www.shielbuses.co.uk/timetables.htm]
During the summer, most small communities in the Highlands open up for their very own Highland Games, which can include anything from dancing competitions, tossing the caber, and local cuisine to races and art tents.
In Glenfinnan, the Games usually happen on the weekend in August closest to the 19th, as it was the day that Bonnie Prince Charlie raised the Standard during the Jacobites Revolution, in 1745. This feat is marked by the monument, which stands by the beach. The monument itself is our own leaning tower of Pisa, as it has slowly been sinking into the sand for years now. It is not dangerous though, as it is hardly noticeable except to the best eye!
The Games are held on the large field on the left hand side as you enter into the village from the Fort William direction. The games go on from morning until night and in the afternoon there is the famous hill race! After 5PM there is usually better craic in the beer tent than anywhere else and later that evening there is the Games Dance.
Glenfinnan Fun Day is held in June every year on the lawn of Glenfinnan House Hotel. The day begins with a raft race from the Monument to the old pier at the hotel. All entries welcome, life jackets must be worn and parent supervision is necessary.
The day progresses on the lawn with the entire village turning up for fresh food (local cuisine such as venison and fresh salmon on an open BBQ), games and slides for the children (and the adults). There is usually a raffle to raise funds for village activities (such as parties for the children at Christmas). There is no entry fee although all villagers are asked to contribute to the salads, drinks and raffle prizes available.
Glenfinnan is in an area of hills, loch and beautiful scenery. Here are a few recommended walks:
* The Village Walk
You can either begin at the top of the village at the station, or start at the bottom and end up there.
From the red phone box on the main road: Head towards the top of the village, but take the first right down a bumpy track. This is the "backtrack". Follow the path down and across the foot bridge. When you reach the tarmac road, turn right and follow the road to the pier. At the pier, take the shore path to the left, and you will end up at the Glenfinnan House Hotel. Walk across the front of the lawn, and you will find yourself upon the road again. Straight across the road, there is a footpath leading up to the church. You will have to cross someone's drive to carry on here. At the church there is a fantastic view of the loch. At the church car park, and the main road, you can either take a right down to the bottom of the village and the glen, or take a left to take you back to the top of the village. The main road in the village is single track and has some beautiful little beaches if you just step off the road.
* The Loch Path
At the National Trust for Scotland museum/cafe, there is a path down to the monument. Just off that path to the left, there is a wooden trail around the edge of Loch Shiel which crosses over the old road and over a bridge to the other side of the loch. From here there are view points and a choice to either go left to Callop (where there is another car park and another glen) or to the right and Polloch. Polloch is a long walk, but you can make your way down the track a little bit for lovely views of the island and towards the village.
* The Glen
You can park your car at the bottom of the glen as driving is restricted to residents of the glen only. Walk as far as you like. There are view points further up the glen, plus this is a good way to get a close up of the Glenfinnan Viaduct, used for films such as Charlotte Gray and Harry Potter. The Glen road is tarmac up until the bothy, which is about 4 miles walk. The road follows the river, in which you can swim in summer.
For you brave ones out there, there are a few good places to swim in summer.
The loch (the bay just off the single track road as you enter the village at the bottom) is an excellent place to swim. Although slightly shallow and rocky at the beginning, it soon widens out to a completely sandy bottom and plenty of space to swim. People have been known to swim to the island and back!
River Finnan, up the glen, is a good place for privacy though. The further you go, the better the pools.
- Glenuig (17 miles, take right exit at Lochailort towards Acharacle).
- Camusdarach (21 miles, take old road after Arisaig)
- Silver Sands (Morar, just off new road)
- War Memorial at Spean Bridge (22 miles, towards Inverness)
- Nevis Range, Ski Resort & Mountain Biking World Cup Venue, with gondola's up the mountain (19 miles, towards Inverness)
- Treasures of the Earth (12 miles, Corpach)
- Ben Nevis Distillery (15 miles, Fort William Junction)
- Day trips to the Small Isles ([wiki=a71c94929a8484b3e7becacfa446d476]Eigg[/wiki], [wiki=dc3c2630b55fbada1e4a12f97f3f1896]Rum[/wiki], [wiki=8935a343175c9fa2b212793183a1fd71]Muck[/wiki] and [wiki=7577c239c73fa5f3011cd7b5503e75ed]Canna[/wiki]) leave from [wiki=f88d7cd42561687a9a23a1e64012b799]Mallaig[/wiki] daily [url=http://www.calmac.co.uk]]or Arisaig [http://www.isleofeigg.net/travel/ferry.htm[/url]
- Over to [wiki=881f32366cabc700634e3df10bc7bee9]Skye[/wiki] from [wiki=f88d7cd42561687a9a23a1e64012b799]Mallaig[/wiki] [http://www.calmac.co.uk]
- Ardnamurchan Point, most westerly point on the British mainland (drive down to Lochailort, turn left, head for [wiki=bf4a937ad99ec7aff530c369ab15d65a]Kilchoan[/wiki] and drive until the road runs out!)
- [wiki=ad5fb7efa359c57dfe2463d6c6f2f32f]Isle of Mull[/wiki], go the same way as Ardnamurchan and either head for Kilchoan or Lochaline
- [wiki=586e5fa25c16bd09e3e9cfc7cc269360]Fort William[/wiki] (17 miles)
- [wiki=4943e7ef7288b69cc94323155ff6d17b]Inverness[/wiki] (78 miles)
- [wiki=d586293d554981ed611ab7b01316d2d5]Glasgow[/wiki] (124 miles)
- [wiki=03cf54d8ce19777b12732b8c50b3b66f]Edinburgh[/wiki] (150 miles)
- [wiki=59ead8d1e124ccfb79f3ace06f43e703]London[/wiki] (525 miles)