The Ideal Central Base
The location of Achnabobane Farmhouse provides an ideal central base for exploring The Highlands to best advantage. Round journeys to all the destinations shown- with plenty of time to spend when you get there - are easily achievable in a day. Alternatively, you can simply chill out and enjoy the local area, famed for its wide variety of outdoor pursuits, wildlife and numerous attractions and places of interest to see.
Caledonian Canal
An engineering masterpiece of its time, this canal system forms a navigable link between Fort William on the West coast and Inverness on the East coast by joining the various Lochs of the Great Glen. Just outside Fort William, at banavie, you can watch the boats passing through the cascading locks at Neptunes Staircase.
Achnacarry
Is the home of the Clan Cameron Museum and the World War II Royal Marine Commando Training Centre. This area has a long history with one of the most famous links to the past represented by 'The Dark Mile' between Loch Lochy and Loch Arkaig where Bonnie Prince Charlie is alleged to have taken refuge with Cameron of Clunes after fleeing the Culloden battlefield in 1746.
The Commandos were awarded 38 battle honours, 8 Victoria Crosses, 37 Distinguished Service Orders (9 with bars), 162 Military Crosses (13 with bars) and 218 Military Medals, some of the battles they fought were the bloodiest of the Second World War.
The world famous Commando Memorial stands proudly high above Spean Bridge. The three gigantic bronze figures stand proud in battledress, woollen caps and climbing boots looking across the Great Glen. The 17 foot high Memorial was designed by Scott Sutherland from Dundee College of Art in 1949, and unveiled by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother in 1952. Hundreds of veteran Commandos make the annual pilgrimage to attend the Service of Remembrance and Wreath Laying held at the Memorial in November.
The Commando Association was granted the Freedom of Fort William and Lochaber in 1993. The illuminated Scroll is on display together with a range of memorabilia and photographs in the Commando Exhibition in the Spean Bridge Hotel, Spean Bridge.
West Coast Railway Company & Harry Potter
West Coast Railway Company, supplied the engine and all carriages for the film. The engine used was originally GWR "Hall" Class 4-6-0 No. 5972 "Olton Hall". Built at Swindon in 1937, No. 5972 "Olton Hall" was one of a class of 330 versatile mixed traffic locomotives, designed by Charles Collett for the Great Western Railway.
No.5972 is now set to find new fame as the "Hogwarts Express" locomotive in the Warner Brothers' film of the phenomenally successful Harry Potter stories. Renamed Hogwarts Castle" and repainted into fictitious Hogwarts Railways bright red livery, No. 597 appeared in the first session of filming at Goathland, on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway. More filming took place at Kings Cross (on Platform 9 3/4) in early 2001, taking No. 5972 further into new territory. Later in 2001, filming began for the second Harry Potter film, shot at Glenfinnan in the West Highlands of Scotland. The same route as used by the Jacobite Steam Train
Left is the 'Hogwarts Express' on it's way to Hogsmead. To the right, the 'Jacobite' Railway.
