Glenfinnan Viaduct

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Glenfinnan Viaduct
Glenfinnan Viaduct - 2022.jpg
The Jacobite steam train crossing the viaduct in 2022
Coordinates 56°52′35″N5°25′55″W / 56.876285°N 5.431914°W / 56.876285; -5.431914
Carries West Highland Line
Crosses River Finnan
Owner Network Rail
Characteristics
Material Concrete
Total length381 metres
Height30 metres
Longest span50 feet (15 m)
No. of spans21
History
Engineering design bySimpson & Wilson
Constructed by Robert McAlpine & Sons
Construction start1897
Construction endOctober 1898
Opened1 April 1901
Location
Glenfinnan Viaduct

The Glenfinnan Viaduct is a railway viaduct on the West Highland Line in Glenfinnan, Inverness-shire, Scotland, built from 1897 to 1901. Located at the top of Loch Shiel in the West Scottish Highlands, the viaduct overlooks the Glenfinnan Monument and the waters of Loch Shiel.

Contents

Construction

Thirteen of the viaduct's twenty-one arches Glenfinnan - Arches.jpg
Thirteen of the viaduct's twenty-one arches
View from a train on the viaduct GlenfinnanViaduct.jpg
View from a train on the viaduct

The West Highland Railway was built to Fort William by Lucas and Aird, but there were delays with the West Highland Railway Mallaig Extension (Guarantee) bill for the Mallaig Extension Railway in the House of Commons as the Tory and Liberal parties fought over the issue of subsidies for public transport. This Act did pass in 1896, by which time Lucas and Aird (and their workers) had moved south. [1] New contractors were needed and Robert McAlpine & Sons were taken on with Simpson & Wilson as engineers. Robert McAlpine & Sons was headed by Robert McAlpine, nicknamed "Concrete Bob" for his innovative use of mass concrete. [2] Concrete was used due to the difficulty of working the hard schist in the area. [3] McAlpine's son Robert, then aged 28, took charge of construction, with his younger son Malcolm appointed as assistant. [4]

Construction of the extension from Fort William to Mallaig began in January 1897, and the line opened on 1 April 1901. [5] [6] The Glenfinnan Viaduct, however, was complete enough by October 1898 to be used to transport materials across the valley. [7] It was built at a cost of £18,904. [3] [8]

A long-established legend attached to the Glenfinnan Viaduct was that a horse had fallen into one of the piers during construction in 1898 or 1899. [9] [10] In 1987, Professor Roland Paxton failed to find evidence of a horse at Glenfinnan using a borescope inserted into boreholes in the only two piers large enough to accommodate a horse. [10] In 1997, on the basis of local hearsay, he investigated the Loch nan Uamh Viaduct by the same method but found the piers to be full of rubble. [9] [10] Using scanning technology in 2001, the remains of the horse and cart were found at Loch nan Uamh, within the large central pylon. [11]

In 2024, following more than six years of planning, [12] repair work on the structure began, with an expectation of the work completing in less than 12 months. [13]

Design

The viaduct is built from mass concrete, and has 21 semicircular spans of 50 feet (15 m). [14] It is the longest concrete railway bridge in Scotland at 416 yards (380 m), and crosses the River Finnan at a height of 100 feet (30 m). [14] [8] [15] The West Highland Line it carries is single track, and the viaduct is 18 feet (5.5 m) wide between the parapets. [14] The viaduct is built on a curve of 792 feet (241 m). [16]

The concrete used in the Glenfinnan Viaduct is mass concrete, which unlike reinforced concrete does not contain any metal reinforcement. [17] It is formed by pouring concrete, typically using fine aggregate, into formwork, resulting in a material very strong in compression but weak in tension. [17] [18]

Services

The West Highland Line connects Fort William and Mallaig, and was a crucial artery for the local fishing industry and the Highland economy in general, which suffered enormously after the Highland Clearances of the 1800s.

The line is used by passenger trains operated by ScotRail between Glasgow Queen Street and Mallaig, with Class 153 and Class 156 diesel multiple units. [19] In the summer, West Coast Railways operates The Jacobite steam train along the line. It is a popular tourist event in the area, and the viaduct is one of the major attractions of the line. [20] The Royal Scotsman also operates on the line. [21]

Depiction

The viaduct is commemorated on this Bank of Scotland PS10 note. Bank-of-Scotland-ten-pounds.jpg
The viaduct is commemorated on this Bank of Scotland £10 note.

Glenfinnan Viaduct has been used as a location in several films and television series, including Ring of Bright Water , Charlotte Gray , Monarch of the Glen , Stone of Destiny , The Crown, and four of the Harry Potter films. After its appearance in Harry Potter, British Transport Police had to warn fans not to walk on the viaduct after a handful of near misses with trains had occurred. [22] It is also featured in the 2018 video game Forza Horizon 4 .

The Glenfinnan Viaduct features on some Scottish banknotes. The 2007 series of notes issued by the Bank of Scotland depicts different bridges in Scotland as examples of Scottish engineering, and the £10 note features the Glenfinnan Viaduct. [23] [24]

Related Research Articles

Fort William is a town in Lochaber in the Scottish Highlands, located on the eastern shore of Loch Linnhe. At the 2011 census, Fort William had a population of 15,757, making it the second-largest settlement both in the Highland council area and in the whole of the Scottish Highlands; only the city of Inverness has a larger population.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mallaig</span> Scottish Highland port

Mallaig is a port in Morar, on the west coast of the Highlands of Scotland. It faces Skye from across the Sound of Sleat. The local railway station is the terminus of the West Highland Line, and the town is linked to Fort William by the A830 road – the "Road to the Isles".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glenfinnan</span> Human settlement in Scotland

Glenfinnan is a hamlet in Lochaber area of the Highlands of Scotland. In 1745 the Jacobite rising began here when Prince Charles Edward Stuart raised his standard on the shores of Loch Shiel. Seventy years later, the 18 m (60 ft) Glenfinnan Monument, at the head of the loch, was erected to commemorate the historic event.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Highland Line</span> Railway line in Scotland

The West Highland Line is a railway line linking the ports of Mallaig and Oban in the Scottish Highlands to Glasgow in Central Scotland. The line was voted the top rail journey in the world by readers of independent travel magazine Wanderlust in 2009, ahead of the notable Trans-Siberian line in Russia and the Cuzco to Machu Picchu line in Peru. The ScotRail website has since reported that the line has been voted the most scenic railway line in the world for the second year running.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A830 road</span> Road in the Scottish Highlands

The A830, also known as the Road to the Isles is a major road in Lochaber, Scottish Highlands. It connects the town of Fort William to the port of Mallaig.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Loch Shiel</span> Freshwater loch in Scotland

Loch Shiel is a freshwater loch situated 20 kilometres (12 mi) west of Fort William in the Highland council area of Scotland. At 28 kilometres long it is the 4th longest loch in Scotland, and is the longest to have retained a natural outflow without any regulation of its water level, being 120 m (393 ft) deep. Its nature changes considerably along its length, being deep and enclosed by mountains in the north east and shallow surrounded by bog and rough pasture in the south west, from which end the 4 km River Shiel drains to the sea in Loch Moidart near Castle Tioram.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Highland Railway</span> Former railway company in Scotland

The West Highland Railway was a railway company that constructed a railway line from Craigendoran to Fort William and Mallaig. The line was built through remote and difficult terrain in two stages: the section from Craigendoran to Fort William opened in 1894, with a short extension to Banavie on the Caledonian Canal opening in 1895.

The Mallaig Extension Railway is a railway line in Highland, Scotland. It runs from Banavie Junction (New) on the Banavie Pier branch of the West Highland Railway to Mallaig. The previous "Banavie Junction" closer to Fort William was renamed "Mallaig Junction" upon opening of the Mallaig Extension Railway. The line is still open as part of the West Highland Line.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sgùrr Thuilm</span> Mountain in Scotland

Sgùrr Thuilm is a mountain in the Glenfinnan area of the Highlands of Scotland. It stands at the head of Glen Finnan approximately 7 kilometres (4 mi) north of Loch Shiel.

<i>The Jacobite</i> (steam train) Steam locomotive operating in Scotland

The Jacobite is a steam locomotive-hauled tourist train service that operates over part of the West Highland Line in Scotland. It has been operating under various names and with different operators every summer since 1984.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Loch Eilt</span>

Loch Eilt is a freshwater loch in Lochaber, in the West Highlands of Scotland. It is between the villages of Glenfinnan and Lochailort, 30 km west of Fort William. The A830 road runs along the north shore, while the West Highland Line railway follows the south shore.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">River Morar</span> River and power station in Scotland

The River Morar is a river that flows from Loch Morar in the west Highlands of Scotland. It flows from the western end of the loch to the estuary of Morar Bay, an inlet of the Sound of Sleat. It is one of Scotland's shortest rivers, and is known for its white sands beaches where it flows through Morar Bay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Morar Railway Viaduct</span> Bridge

The Morar Railway Viaduct is a railway viaduct that carries the West Highland Line over the River Morar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Loch nan Uamh Viaduct</span> Rail bridge in Scotland

The Loch nan Uamh Viaduct is a railway viaduct in Scotland that carries the West Highland Line.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Borrodale Viaduct</span> Bridge

The Borrodale Viaduct is a railway viaduct that carries the West Highland Line over the Borrodale Burn.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arnabol Viaduct</span> Bridge

The Arnabol Viaduct carries the West Highland Line over the Arnabol Burn.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Larichmore Viaduct</span> Bridge

The Larichmore Viaduct is a railway viaduct in Scotland that carries the West Highland Line over the Brunery Burn.

Glen Finnan is a glen (valley) in Lochaber, Highland, Scotland, located at the foot of Streap in the Northwest Highlands mountain range. The River Finnan, which flows into Loch Shiel, flows the entire length of the valley. The Sgùrr Thuilm mountain stands at the head of Glen Finnan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">River Finnan</span> River in Highland, Scotland

The River Finnan is a river in Highland, Scotland that flows the Glen Finnan glen (valley). Rising from the waters of two streams near Corryhully, one named Allt a' Chaol Ghlinne, the River Finnan drains into Loch Shiel. It flows underneath the Glenfinnan Viaduct at Glenfinnan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dubh Lighe</span> River in Highland, Scotland

Dubh Lighe is a 2-kilometre (1.2 mi) long river in Lochaber, Highland, Scotland that flows the Gleann Dubh Lighe glen (valley), before flowing into Loch Eil, itself giving waters to Loch Linnhe.

References

  1. ↑ Thomas 1971, pp. 92–95
  2. ↑ Miers, Mary (2008). The Western Seaboard: An Illustrated Architectural Guide. Rutland Press. ISBN   978-1-873190-29-6.
  3. 1 2 Paxton, Roland; Shipway, J. (2007). Civil Engineering Heritage Scotland: Highlands and islands. Thomas Telford. pp. 186–187. ISBN   978-0-7277-3488-4.
  4. ↑ Thomas 1971, pp. 95–96
  5. ↑ Thomas 1971, pp. 177–178
  6. ↑ Awdry, Christopher (1990). Encyclopaedia of British Railway Companies . Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. p. 169. ISBN   1-8526-0049-7. OCLC   19514063. CN 8983.
  7. ↑ Chartered Civil Engineer. Institution of Civil Engineers. 1956. p. 8.
  8. 1 2 Concrete Bob's Scottish masterpiece Rail issue 312 27 August 1997 pages 40-41
  9. 1 2 "Jim Shipway". The Herald . 23 August 2013. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 1 January 2015.
  10. 1 2 3 "The Horse in the Viaduct - a tale of Victorian engineering". moidart.org.uk. Retrieved 1 January 2015.
  11. ↑ Historic Environment Scotland. "Loch Nan Uamh Viaduct (22716)". Canmore . Retrieved 30 December 2014.
  12. ↑ [https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m00251q6/from-above-harry-potter-bridge-repairs
  13. ↑
  14. 1 2 3 Historic Environment Scotland. "Glenfinnan Railway Viaduct (23340)". Canmore . Retrieved 2 January 2015.
  15. ↑ Historic Environment Scotland. "Glenfinnan Railway Viaduct over River Finnan (Category A Listed Building) (LB310)" . Retrieved 26 March 2019.
  16. ↑ Thomas, John; Turnock, David (1993). The North of Scotland. A Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain Vol. 15 (2nd ed.). Pan Books. p. 278. ISBN   0-330-02479-5.
  17. 1 2 Historic Concrete in Scotland Part 1: History and Development (PDF). Historic Scotland. 2013. ISBN   978-1-84917-119-9. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 2 January 2015.
  18. ↑ Practical Building Conservation: Concrete. Ashgate Publishing. 2012. p. 6. ISBN   978-0-7546-4565-8.
  19. ↑ West Highlands timetable Archived 16 May 2022 at the Wayback Machine ScotRail
  20. ↑ The Jacobite West Coast Railways
  21. ↑ Western Scenic Wonders Royal Scotsman
  22. ↑ "Harry Potter fans warned after near misses on Glenfinnan Viaduct". BBC News . 19 May 2017.
  23. ↑ "Current Banknotes : Bank of Scotland". The Committee of Scottish Clearing Bankers. Retrieved 29 October 2008.
  24. ↑ Bridges on Euro notes

Sources

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