unning from Fort William to Mallaig on the West Highland Line in Scotland, the Jacobite train, which Harry Potter fans will recognize as the Hogwarts Express, is an 84-mile journey that begins adjacent to the tallest mountain in the United Kingdom, and ventures through the largest town in the Highlands, fishing ports, and rocky islets. Spirits and spells are absent from the journey—except, perhaps, for a pass by the Loch Morar, a freshwater lake rumored to host a half-human, half-fish monster known as Morag. Indeed, passengers will tell you that the real magic of the Jacobite lies in its most human quality: connection.
Named for the prevalence of Highland connections to the Jacobite political movement, the train draws from a history of connecting people in conflict. In the mid-18th century, King James II of Scotland abdicated his throne to his daughter Mary and her husband William of Orange after upsetting the Protestant population with his Roman Catholic loyalties. The resulting Glorious Revolution, though “bloodless” in England, met armed resistance in Scotland and Ireland. Supporters of James II and his son, Charles Edward Stuart, became known as the Jacobites. During the reign of William of Orange, when Scottish citizens became dissatisfied with political and economic failures, many turned to the Jacobite movement not only to advocate for James II’s leadership, but also express their upset.
In 1901, the West Highland Line had expanded to include the fishing village of Mallaig, connecting rural Scotland to the more urban Atlantic Coast. The extension enabled economic cooperation and sparked new relationships among country and city dwellers previously prevented by distance. Drawing from the train’s past successes, steam locomotives took the place of more efficient diesel locomotives to revive the traditional image of a train billowing thick white steam. Jointed coaches reinvigorated the familiar sound of wheels clacking against tracks, an addition that passengers today can still hear.
Musician Mary Ann MacKinnon felt the Jacobite’s power to connect on a 1990 train ride that linked a new era to the old. Just six years prior to MacKinnon’s journey, Jacobite operator West Coast Railways sought to promote train travel among modern passengers by preserving elements of the past. No exact record exists of what MacKinnon experienced during her ride. Whether her love of the Jacobite stemmed from sights of the River Morar, the shortest river in Scotland, or the Loch nan Ceall, a bay connected by rocky islets, or even Glenfinnan, the 21-arched viaduct so familiar to viewers of Harry Potter, remains uncertain. Yet something about the Jacobite’s bridge between the old and the new stuck with MacKinnon. So, taken by her “memories of a fine summer day looking out of the train window,” the passenger composed the iconic bagpipe tune “Steam Train to Mallaig”. Like the Jacobite, the piece itself is a modern relic, a link to something past: piobaireachd, classical bagpipe music from the Great Highlands.
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The Magic of the Highlands
July 19, 2020
Known to many as the Hogwarts Express, this magical train ride has inspired other great works of art.
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unning from Fort William to Mallaig on the West Highland Line in Scotland, the Jacobite train, which Harry Potter fans will recognize as the Hogwarts Express, is an 84-mile journey that begins adjacent to the tallest mountain in the United Kingdom, and ventures through the largest town in the Highlands, fishing ports, and rocky islets. Spirits and spells are absent from the journey—except, perhaps, for a pass by the Loch Morar, a freshwater lake rumored to host a half-human, half-fish monster known as Morag. Indeed, passengers will tell you that the real magic of the Jacobite lies in its most human quality: connection.
Named for the prevalence of Highland connections to the Jacobite political movement, the train draws from a history of connecting people in conflict. In the mid-18th century, King James II of Scotland abdicated his throne to his daughter Mary and her husband William of Orange after upsetting the Protestant population with his Roman Catholic loyalties. The resulting Glorious Revolution, though “bloodless” in England, met armed resistance in Scotland and Ireland. Supporters of James II and his son, Charles Edward Stuart, became known as the Jacobites. During the reign of William of Orange, when Scottish citizens became dissatisfied with political and economic failures, many turned to the Jacobite movement not only to advocate for James II’s leadership, but also express their upset.
In 1901, the West Highland Line had expanded to include the fishing village of Mallaig, connecting rural Scotland to the more urban Atlantic Coast. The extension enabled economic cooperation and sparked new relationships among country and city dwellers previously prevented by distance. Drawing from the train’s past successes, steam locomotives took the place of more efficient diesel locomotives to revive the traditional image of a train billowing thick white steam. Jointed coaches reinvigorated the familiar sound of wheels clacking against tracks, an addition that passengers today can still hear.
Musician Mary Ann MacKinnon felt the Jacobite’s power to connect on a 1990 train ride that linked a new era to the old. Just six years prior to MacKinnon’s journey, Jacobite operator West Coast Railways sought to promote train travel among modern passengers by preserving elements of the past. No exact record exists of what MacKinnon experienced during her ride. Whether her love of the Jacobite stemmed from sights of the River Morar, the shortest river in Scotland, or the Loch nan Ceall, a bay connected by rocky islets, or even Glenfinnan, the 21-arched viaduct so familiar to viewers of Harry Potter, remains uncertain. Yet something about the Jacobite’s bridge between the old and the new stuck with MacKinnon. So, taken by her “memories of a fine summer day looking out of the train window,” the passenger composed the iconic bagpipe tune “Steam Train to Mallaig”. Like the Jacobite, the piece itself is a modern relic, a link to something past: piobaireachd, classical bagpipe music from the Great Highlands.
