The Jacobite: How Scotland's iconic train became a runaway success

Such is its popularity, Lancashire-based specialist train operators West Coast Railways, who took over the service back in 1995, believe the train journey is now worth an estimated £20 million pounds to the Scottish tourism sector. 

Speaking exclusively to The Herald as the 2023 season for the locomotive-hauled tourist train got underway, West Coast Railways commercial director James Shuttleworth said The Jacobite has grown to become a “lynchpin” of Scottish tourism.

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He said: “It’s business as usual I think. We are quite busy already, we had a good takeup over Easter. We’ve added a second first-class coach so we now have two first-class coaches and it’s what people enjoy.

“We’ve also swapped the passengers over so they get the views on both sides as well, and the feedback from that has been good. They can see the views on the inland side and on the sea side. 

“I think the West Highlands now set their seasonal clocks by it for tourism. It builds a lot into it and relies on it. The contribution that it makes to British tourism and of course Scottish tourism, not what we take obviously, we worked it out, it’s something in the region of £20-odd million pounds. That’s the inward spend. People getting there, staying, all the other spend. Split between local domestic and foreign travel. People getting up to the West Highlands. It’s become an intrinsic part of Scottish tourism, you’d almost say it’s a lynchpin.”

The 84-mile round trip passes by or close to a smorgasbord of impressive extremes - including Britain’s highest mountain (Ben Nevis); most westerly mainland railway station (Arisaig); deepest freshwater loch (Loch Morar) and shortest river (River Morar).

The Jacobite

However, one of the undoubted highlights of the journey is crossing the magnificent 21-arched Glenfinnan Viaduct which overlooks Loch Shiel and the Jacobite monument.

Thanks to the viaduct’s appearance in the Harry Potter films, large crowds of excited tourists are a daily occurrence on the vantage point above the viaduct, stood cameras-in-hand ready to capture the moment the train passes over.

It’s a far cry from when West Coast Railways first took over The Jacobite service back in 1995, when Mr Shuttleworth would normally find himself stood alone on the hillside watching the train pass over - having alerted the local rangekeeper of his presence beforehand.

He said: “What you don’t have is any control over the number of people who come to Glenfinnan and mob the place when the train runs. We have no control over them, we don’t know whether they travel on the train or not. Probably not we think. Scotland has a lot of people who like doing road trips and travelling. Glenfinnan becomes one of the stop offs at 10:45am and then again in the afternoon about at 3pm.

“I remember when I went up there for the first time in 1995. I used to occasionally go up and take some photographs and I was the only person there. I’d usually tell the keeper or factor if you see my car I’ll park it up under the viaduct out of the way and walk up hillside, and I was the only one there frequently. Now, the last time I was there, there were a couple of hundred people.”

As West Coast Railways approaches its third decade operating The Jacobite, even Mr Shuttleworth could never have imagined how popular the tourist route has become, admitting to The Herald that the original plan was to “see how it goes for a couple of years”.

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He said: “It’s popularity doesn’t seem to be letting off. The pressure for following Harry Potter, the demand is high. Its a wide clientele, they come from all over. It’s a feel-good trip. Everybody loves it, and we do our damndest to make sure everybody enjoys themselves. 

“This is now the 40th season of steam. We took it over in 1995, so its our 29th season. Next year will be our 30th season. We said we’d see how it goes for a couple of years and see how it worked out and here we are, we are still here.”

Aside from the Harry Potter connection, he cites the length and duration of the trip and the fact it “landed right” as factors for The Jacobite’s popularity - which sees around 110,000 travellers make the return trip each season.

He added: “It was Lonely Planet that coined the phrase ‘One of the world’s greatest railway journeys’ about 15 years ago, so we stuck with it.

The train operates between Fort William and Mallaig

“It just landed right. It’s the right length of trip, 42 miles, takes a couple of hours each way, you’ve got time for lunch at the other end or time for high tea whichever train you go on. 

“You have diverse scenery; you start at Fort William at the bottom of Ben Nevis and run along Loch Eil, then you climb the hills to Glenfinnan, which is special in itself. There’s a short break to have a look at the station and then you’re away again and the scenery just gets grander and grander as you go over to Loch Eilt and then down to Lochailort and then you’ve got the sea. And of course in all of that time don’t while you’re going up and down and round and round the weather can change. You can get four seasons in a day. You can have the whole bloody lot!”

And with the train journey bringing “upwards of 700” tourists a day to Mallaig over seven months of the year, Mr Shuttleworth said he is “proud” at the “lifeline” role The Jacobite has played in transforming the picturesque small port into “a thriving tourist spot”. 

He said: “It’s a lifeline to Mallaig. It’s now a thriving tourist spot. There’s still some fishing but it’s not what it used to be. You bypass the middle of the village to get to the ferry, but with the train we can bring upwards of 700 people a day into the village. 

“When I first went there there wasn’t a lot to choose from, there was a chippy and a hotel. Now there’s a couple of nice restaurants opened and art galleries and they all thrive very well on it. It’s something I think you could proud of.”

About The Jacobite, Chris Taylor, VisitScotland Regional Leadership Director (Highlands and Islands), said: “The Jacobite Steam Train has been a popular attraction for many years, and it continues to enchant visitors from across the globe. 

“The iconic train and its route, which crosses the Glenfinnan Viaduct, has benefitted from screen tourism with fans of the Harry Potter films flocking to take a trip across the landmark, as seen in the movies.

“The unique train experience showcases the West Highlands and acts as a gateway for visitors to explore the wider region.”