Harry Potter inspired Glenfinnan bus service launches to tackle overtourism
The community-led initiative will aim to plug a gap in public transport provision to the Highland hamlet, where the lives of residents have been increasingly impacted by the tourists visiting to see the Jacobite Steam Train cross the viaduct.
West Coast Railways – which runs The Jacobite steam train that crosses the viaduct - provided the steam engine and carriages used as the Hogwarts Express in the Harry Potter films and the viaduct features in the famous flying car scene in the Chamber of Secrets.
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Villagers have previously told The National how their daily lives have been taken over by tourists, who often behave irresponsibly as the fight to get a glimpse of the train to share on their social media accounts.
The bus will initially be a pilot scheme to gauge public appetite for a car-free day out and help relieve pressure on car parks, which are usually all full by around 10am. This has led to hazardous kerbside parking and traffic congestion along the famous Road to the Isles.
Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes, who represents the area as an MSP, has been chairing a taskforce over the last few years to try and resolve some of the issues the village has been facing.
She said she hopes the bus will be 'transformational'.
(Image: Kate Forbes) Forbes (above) said: "Glenfinnan has become an iconic destination for visitors, with thousands of visitors every year. This has created pressures on local infrastructure, which I have been working to resolve with local residents.
'A few years ago, the community successfully built a much larger carpark. However, this has quickly become too small. As such, I have been chairing a task force to identify solutions over the last few years.
'I am delighted to see a new solution to get more people out of their cars. This will hopefully be transformational, as more visitors choose to share transport.
'I am enormously grateful to all the key stakeholders – The Highland Council, HITRANS, Shiel Buses, National Trust for Scotland and every local resident that has been helping drive this forward.'
With Glenfinnan's visitor numbers continuing to rise year-on-year, it is hoped this new bus will relieve pressure on what has become a bucket list location in Scotland.
The NTS Visitor Centre welcomed 14% more visitors between January and June 2025 than during the same period in 2024.
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The summer weekend bus service will run four times a day between Fort William and
Glenfinnan up until Sunday, September 7. It is just one of many train and bus services that travel to Glenfinnan seven days a week.
The NTS, Glenfinnan Community Council, Glenfinnan Community Facilities Charitable Trust (SCIO), Glenfinnan Station Museum and HITRANS have each contributed to the cost of the buses.
Councillors have also backed the project by supporting an application to The
Highland Council's Discretionary Budget, while local bus company Shiel Buses will operate the service.
The weekend bus service pilot is part of a wider community action plan to address the long-standing challenges facing the village, which has become a bucket list destination in Scotland.
In 2024, bollards and double yellow lines were introduced along the carriageway to physically discourage illegal roadside parking. This was reinforced in summer 2025 when Highland Council gained enforcement powers on the A830 around Glenfinnan.
Parking enforcement officers are set to visit Glenfinnan regularly through the summer season, helping to educate drivers or issue penalty charge notices as required.
While seeking to dissuade anti-social behaviour, the community is passionate about
encouraging responsible and sustainable tourism has produced a simple 'Guide to visiting Glenfinnan without a car.'
This combines timetable information for ScotRail trains, local buses and The Jacobite service in one place for the first time and aims to help visitors plan their visit by public transport.
Glenfinnan businesses are also offering 'green rewards' as a thank you to those visitors who show them a valid bus or train ticket instead of using their car. These include the NTS Visitor Centre offering a complimentary hot drink and two-for-one on climbing Glenfinnan Monument.
Visitors will be able to get on the Glenfinnan weekend bus at Fort William bus station, Lochaber High School – where there is free parking available at weekends – Kilmalie Hall in Corpach and Linnhe Caravan Park.
Times for the new service, along with timetables and prices for all other buses and trains, can be found in the 'Guide to visiting Glenfinnan without a car.'
This can be viewed and downloaded here.
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