Scottish village left ‘gridlocked’ by tourists as thousands flock to see famous attraction every day

LOCALS living in a small village said they are facing “gridlock” traffic as thousands of tourists flock to the area to visit a famous Scottish attraction every day.

The tiny village of Glenfinnan in Lochaber is overwhelmed each day by the huge number of visitors who want to see the real life Hogwarts Express.

2

Over half a million people visited the Glenfinnan Viaduct in 2023.

This makes it the most popular visitor site outside Glasgow and Edinburgh.

The Jacobite train shot to fame when it was used as the Hogwarts Express in the Harry Potter films.

But the popularity of the attraction has created some major problems for residents.

The village only has 180 parking spaces, and this leads to a number of visitors parking on road verges and bends.

Motorists have previously been criticised for their “dangerous, obstructive and illegal parking” in the area.

Emily Bryce, who is operations manager for Glencoe and Glenfinnan at National Trust of Scotland (NTS), said staff have had to turn visitors away from 9.30am every day as car parks fill up so quick, STV News reports.

To help put a stop to this, BEAR Scotland has now installed marker posts along the roadside to stop people parking on road verges.

Ingrid Henderson, charity of the Glenfinnan community facilities scheme, said the parking situation in the village often creates “gridlock”.

She also added that the charity is “delighted” with the work to deter drivers away from the area.

But there is still some concern from locals that tourists will still bring cars and park up at the other side of the village.

Visitors have previously been urged to travel to the spot by train or bus, to take the pressure off the roads.

The Trust’s website recommends getting the bus from Fort William which runs daily.

And they can also get a ScotRail train to Glenfinnan railway station and walk to the visitor attraction.

The local community and NTS have worked together to create a reward scheme for people who have proof they travelled by train or bus.

If visitors show their tickets then they will be able to get discounts to attractions and centres in the village.

Historic carriages transport sightseers to Mallaig, Fort William, and over the Glenfinnan Viaduct.

It was taken off the tracks over safety concerns earlier this year and broke down on its first day back in operation.