There are photographs of the Glenfinnan Viaduct that make you believe that photographing it is a simple and easy pursuit. The image most people want is the steam train gliding majestically across the magnificent Victorian viaduct cutting through the Highlands with the mountains sitting quietly in the background, with plumes of smoke drifting out of the frame.
I’d researched the location, checked the weather and I had studied the train timetable. Fran and I arrived at Glenfinnan full of optimism with Rio our Border Collie in tow. Within minutes of leaving the car park, we discovered that the path to the famous viewpoint wasn’t really a path at all, it was more of a stream. The rain had transformed the hillside into something resembling a scene from a disaster movie and it was at this point that Fran and Rio decided that staying dry and clean was a more sensible option and turned back.
Eventually I could see my desired viewpoint whilst also visualising that I would be able to sit down when I reached it. However, on arriving, I discovered the entire area was muddy and slippery, so I would have to stay standing for an hour and forty-five minutes until the train arrived.
What photographs and blogs don’t inform you of is the 300 other people standing in Scottish mud, with midges biting every area of skin peeking through any gaps in the layers of clothing they are wearing. Every one of these strangers are all wanting to capture that illusive iconic image that they remember from the Harry Potter film that made this view point an Instagram mecca.
Unfortunately, this is where reality of the Jacobite Steam Train pilgrimage sets in. Those 300 other people will all start the transformation from reasonable and polite folk into inconsiderate, mindless idiots, People will invade what little space you do have and stand right in front of where you are looking. They will try to push you from your position into someone else’s space and think you are in the wrong, after all the Jacobite Steam Train only crosses the viaduct four times a day and if they want to photograph the train heading west to Malliag (the iconic viewpoint) then they only have that once life changing opportunity.
A Perfectly Reasonable Way to Photograph the Glenfinnan Viaduct Without Ruining Your Morning
The secret is simple:
Be prepared. Be patient. And be assertive when necessary.
You don’t need to become a complete bastard. But you also don’t need to surrender your carefully chosen position to someone who has just arrived and decided that standing directly in front of your camera is a perfectly reasonable thing to do.
If someone walks into your shot after you’ve been standing there for more than an hour, politely point it out.
If a selfie stick suddenly appears six inches in front of your lens, politely ask the owner to move.
And if somebody arrives late and tries to push their way into a position you’ve been waiting for, it’s perfectly reasonable to remind them that other people have been waiting too.
Assertive doesn’t have to mean aggressive.
Sometimes people simply need reminding that they’re not the only person on the hillside.
The Mud and Steep Terrain
Slippery slopes
The popular upper viewpoints require walking up a steep, unpaved hillside. In wet weather, this can be considerably more challenging than the photographs suggest.
Allow plenty of time for the walk, particularly if you’re carrying camera equipment.
Heavy mud
Rain turns sections of the hillside into thick, slippery mud.
Wear proper walking boots or wellingtons. This is not the place to test whether your expensive trainers are genuinely waterproof.
They aren’t.
An exposed environment
Once you’ve found your position, you’re likely to be standing on an exposed grassy hillside with very little shelter from the Scottish weather.
If you find a good photographic location, you could be there for quite some time, so bring waterproof clothing and something you can sit on if conditions allow.
Although, as I discovered, don’t assume that because you’ve brought something to sit on, the ground will actually permit you to sit down.
Tight Timing Windows
Limited crossings
The famous Jacobite Steam Train only crosses the viaduct a limited number of times each day, so timing is crucial if you’re there specifically for the classic photograph.
Get the direction right
Not every crossing will give you the composition you’re hoping for.
If your aim is the iconic view of the train travelling from Fort William towards Mallaig, make sure you’ve checked the timetable carefully and know which crossing you’re waiting for.
Don’t miss the moment
After spending all that time walking through mud, fighting off midges and defending your patch of hillside from selfie-stick ninjas, the last thing you want is to discover that you’ve been waiting for the wrong train.
The actual photographic opportunity is surprisingly brief.
The train appears, you take your shots, and it’s gone.
Hopefully you’ve remembered to take the lens cap off.
Extreme Crowds
Packed viewpoints
During train times, hundreds of people can gather around the popular viewpoints, and the available space is surprisingly limited.
Tripods, cameras, phones and people moving around can make getting a clean composition difficult.
And then there are the selfie-stick ninjas.
They will test the patience of even the most saintly photographer.
The best approach is to arrive early, choose your position carefully and accept that you may need to defend it politely.
If someone obstructs the view you’ve been waiting for, say something.
If someone arrives late and tries to push in front of you, say something.
If a selfie stick suddenly appears in the middle of your carefully composed frame, definitely say something.
Just remember that being assertive and being aggressive are two very different things.
You’re there to take a photograph, not recreate the Battle of Culloden.
Parking and Practicalities
The official visitor centre car park can fill up surprisingly early, particularly on busy days.
And if you’re travelling in a camper van, don’t assume that arriving after 9am will leave you with plenty of options.
The car park might not look full, but that doesn’t necessarily mean there is somewhere suitable for a camper van.
Trying to squeeze a large camper into a space that clearly wasn’t designed for it has about the same odds of success as winning the lottery.
Arrive early, particularly if photographing the train is the main purpose of your visit.
Is It Worth It?
Absolutely.
Well, probably.
Once the mud has dried, the midges have stopped biting, your feet have recovered and you’ve successfully prevented a stranger’s selfie stick from becoming the main subject of your photograph, the Glenfinnan Viaduct really is an extraordinary place.
The combination of the Victorian viaduct, the Highlands and the steam train creates an undeniably spectacular scene.
Just don’t be fooled by the photographs.
The final image may look peaceful, atmospheric and effortlessly cinematic.
Behind the camera, there may be 300 people standing in mud, 47 midges attacking exposed skin, several hundred pounds of camera equipment balanced on a tripod, and one increasingly desperate photographer wondering why they didn’t just stay in the car with the dog.
And that, apparently, is the price of getting the shot.