Scottish West Coast Travel: Glencoe, Fort William and Harry Potter Bridge

22-23 October 2022

The first big trip of the stay, heading to the West coast of Scotland. On the plan, the city of Fort William on the shore of its lake, the mythical pass of Glencoe and the famous Glenfinnan bridge, known for its steam train and its presence in Harry Potter.

Day 1

En route to Glencoe

We left Dundee by bus, for a long drive to Glencoe. It takes over 4 hours, but as the bus got closer to the destination, the scenery became more and more magical. Autumn is the perfect time to visit Scotland, the colours are beautiful and varied.

Finally, the bus dropped us off at Glencoe, in the middle of nowhere. Surrounded by mountains and the lake (Loch Leven), the landscape is breathtaking. The village is very small, and we wandered through it until we stopped at a small, busy family-run café. After enjoying a "fruit scone" (Scottish cake) for myself, we headed back through the village, towards the mountains.

First stop around an old stone bridge at the exit of the village, the water flowing underneath is extremely clear, but certainly very cold!

We decided to go for a short walk in the heights, around one of the many lakes (Glencoe Lochan Trail). There is no wind, and the colourful trees are reflected in a mirror, a real painting. After walking around, and flying the drone over this beautiful landscape, it's time to head back down, to catch the bus to the town of Fort William where we will spend the night. It's starting to rain a bit (it has to), but we are not discouraged.

After a thirty-minute drive in the night, we arrived at Fort William. We went to the hotel to drop off our stuff and have a warm break, before going back to the city for dinner. The opportunity to discuss with a good meal!

After going back to the hotel, we played some video games (one of us had brought a switch, a small game console) on the hotel TV, perfect to end the day!

Day 2

After waking up with a view of the city, we headed to McDonald's for breakfast (we had to try!). This morning, nothing special was planned, just a walk in the city. It is wedged between its lake and the mountain, a magnificent landscape under the sun. The occasion for me to take out the drone once again.

Finally, in the middle of the day, we took a train to our final destination, Glenfinnan. Luckily, the train passes over the famous bridge we came to see! Accompanied by a little film music, the driver announced it, and all the travellers rushed to the windows (including me) to enjoy the view. After getting off at the tiny Glenfinnan station, we headed down to the lake (in case you haven't noticed yet, there really are a lot of lakes in this part of Scotland!). We had a picnic by the water and played with the local dogs who came to visit us.

It is now time to head towards the bridge. Everything has been carefully planned. The steam train passes over this bridge twice a day (and it was the last weekend of the season, so we didn't want to miss it!), so we made time to get to the perfect spot to watch it and avoid the hordes (literally) of tourists. The place is really incredible, it is understandable that it was chosen as a film set. After crossing some swamps and climbing a hill, we finally arrived. The view from the bridge was perfect, and far from the other groups. There was still some time before the train, but the view was worth it.

Panorama of Glenfinnan Viaduct

Finally, the steam train we had been waiting for all day arrived, the sound of the engines and the white smoke of the steam covered the bridge. A truly magical moment, on top of being well surrounded. We are on cloud nine!

Time to head back down to Glenfinnan station, back to Fort William. There, we took a bus to Dundee with a change in Glasgow. A bit of stress, there are roadworks on the road, but, escorted by a truck from the construction site, the bus manages to pass by navigating between the tarmac and other machines. With only 2 minutes to go before the last bus to Dundee, we managed to catch it, so that's good! Arrived in Dundee safe and sound, with lots of good memories in mind and stars in our eyes !