Latest news with #HogwartsExpress
Scottish Sun
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
New Harry Potter attraction launched in iconic Scots movie location
Scroll down for times and tickets THAT'S MAGIC New Harry Potter attraction launched in iconic Scots movie location Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A NEW Harry Potter attraction is launching in Scotland this summer. Fans of the book series and movie franchise have long flocked to the north to visit locations featured in the flicks. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 5 The Scottish landmark was used in four films 5 Harry Potter and his pals travelled on the train to Hogwarts over the viaduct 5 Now bus no. 9 ¾ will take visitors to the village 5 Scots schoolboy Dominic McLaughlin plays Harry Potter in the new HBO series Credit: HBO Glenfinnan Viaduct has been one of the favourites, as the Hogwarts Express travelled across the famous bridge in four of the films. Now a new weekend bus service is being introduced to encourage more of the 600,000 annual visitors to Glenfinnan to leave their cars behind and travel a little more magically. And the bus line has a name inspired by the books, being called no. 9 ¾ - or 934. This is in a nod to Platform 9¾, the magical place Harry and his pals caught the Hogwarts Express when heading for school. According to those behind the bus journey, the service offers a 'spellbinding alternative to driving' with comfy seats and scenic views. The new timetable is part of a community-led effort aimed at helping plug a gap in public transport provision to the tiny village on the shores of Loch Shiel in Lochaber on Saturdays and Sundays. It's a pilot scheme to gauge public appetite for a motor-free day out and help relieve pressure on local car parks, which quickly fill up at this time of year, leading to hazardous kerbside parking and traffic congestion along the famous road to the Isles. The National Trust for Scotland (NTS), Glenfinnan Community Council, Glenfinnan Community Facilities Charitable Trust (SCIO), Glenfinnan Station Museum and HITRANS have each contributed to the cost of the buses. Local authority councillors have also backed the project by supporting an application to The Highland Council's Discretionary Budget, while local bus company, Shiel Buses, will operate the service. Glenfinnan businesses are also offering 'green rewards' as a thank you to those visitors who show them a valid bus or train ticket. Harry Potter legend breaks his silence as replacement cast in HBO TV series These include the NTS Visitor Centre offering a complimentary hot drink, and two-for-one on climbing Glenfinnan Monument, along with a range of other discounts. Kate Forbes MSP commented: "Glenfinnan has become an iconic destination for visitors, with thousands of visitors every year. This has created pressures on local infrastructure, which I have been working to resolve with local residents. 'A few years ago, the community successfully built a much larger car park. However, this has quickly become too small. As such, I have been chairing a task force to identify solutions over the last few years. HOW TO GET THERE THE summer weekend bus service will run four times a day at the weekends, between Fort William and Glenfinnan, from now until September 7. It is just one of many train and bus services that travel to Glenfinnan seven days a week. Visitors will be able to get on the Glenfinnan weekend bus at Fort William bus station, Lochaber High School (free parking available at weekends), Kilmallie Hall in Corpach and Linnhe Caravan Park. Times for the new service, along with timetables and prices for all other buses and trains, can be found in the 'Guide to visiting Glenfinnan without a Car.' This can be viewed and downloaded from 'I am delighted to see a new solution to get more people out of their cars. This will hopefully be transformational, as more visitors choose to share transport. 'I am enormously grateful to all the key stakeholders – The Highland Council, HITRANS, Shiel Buses, National Trust for Scotland and every local resident that has been helping drive this forward.'
The National
5 days ago
- The National
Harry Potter inspired Glenfinnan bus service launches to tackle overtourism
The new weekend 934 service – inspired by the famous Platform 9 ¾ the boy wizard catches the Hogwarts Express from – is being introduced to encourage more of the 600,000 annual visitors to leave their cars behind and travel more sustainably. The community-led initiative will aim to plug a gap in public transport provision to the Highland hamlet, where the lives of residents have been increasingly impacted by the tourists visiting to see the Jacobite Steam Train cross the viaduct. West Coast Railways – which runs The Jacobite steam train that crosses the viaduct - provided the steam engine and carriages used as the Hogwarts Express in the Harry Potter films and the viaduct features in the famous flying car scene in the Chamber of Secrets. READ MORE: Calls for 'farcical' North Berwick parking plans to be shelved Villagers have previously told The National how their daily lives have been taken over by tourists, who often behave irresponsibly as the fight to get a glimpse of the train to share on their social media accounts. The bus will initially be a pilot scheme to gauge public appetite for a car-free day out and help relieve pressure on car parks, which are usually all full by around 10am. This has led to hazardous kerbside parking and traffic congestion along the famous Road to the Isles. Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes, who represents the area as an MSP, has been chairing a taskforce over the last few years to try and resolve some of the issues the village has been facing. She said she hopes the bus will be 'transformational'. (Image: Kate Forbes) Forbes (above) said: "Glenfinnan has become an iconic destination for visitors, with thousands of visitors every year. This has created pressures on local infrastructure, which I have been working to resolve with local residents. 'A few years ago, the community successfully built a much larger carpark. However, this has quickly become too small. As such, I have been chairing a task force to identify solutions over the last few years. 'I am delighted to see a new solution to get more people out of their cars. This will hopefully be transformational, as more visitors choose to share transport. 'I am enormously grateful to all the key stakeholders – The Highland Council, HITRANS, Shiel Buses, National Trust for Scotland and every local resident that has been helping drive this forward.' With Glenfinnan's visitor numbers continuing to rise year-on-year, it is hoped this new bus will relieve pressure on what has become a bucket list location in Scotland. The NTS Visitor Centre welcomed 14% more visitors between January and June 2025 than during the same period in 2024. READ MORE: Scottish community-owned island announces boycott of Israel The summer weekend bus service will run four times a day between Fort William and Glenfinnan up until Sunday, September 7. It is just one of many train and bus services that travel to Glenfinnan seven days a week. The NTS, Glenfinnan Community Council, Glenfinnan Community Facilities Charitable Trust (SCIO), Glenfinnan Station Museum and HITRANS have each contributed to the cost of the buses. Councillors have also backed the project by supporting an application to The Highland Council's Discretionary Budget, while local bus company Shiel Buses will operate the service. The weekend bus service pilot is part of a wider community action plan to address the long-standing challenges facing the village, which has become a bucket list destination in Scotland. In 2024, bollards and double yellow lines were introduced along the carriageway to physically discourage illegal roadside parking. This was reinforced in summer 2025 when Highland Council gained enforcement powers on the A830 around Glenfinnan. Parking enforcement officers are set to visit Glenfinnan regularly through the summer season, helping to educate drivers or issue penalty charge notices as required. While seeking to dissuade anti-social behaviour, the community is passionate about encouraging responsible and sustainable tourism has produced a simple 'Guide to visiting Glenfinnan without a car.' This combines timetable information for ScotRail trains, local buses and The Jacobite service in one place for the first time and aims to help visitors plan their visit by public transport. Glenfinnan businesses are also offering 'green rewards' as a thank you to those visitors who show them a valid bus or train ticket instead of using their car. These include the NTS Visitor Centre offering a complimentary hot drink and two-for-one on climbing Glenfinnan Monument. Visitors will be able to get on the Glenfinnan weekend bus at Fort William bus station, Lochaber High School – where there is free parking available at weekends – Kilmalie Hall in Corpach and Linnhe Caravan Park. Times for the new service, along with timetables and prices for all other buses and trains, can be found in the 'Guide to visiting Glenfinnan without a car.' This can be viewed and downloaded here.
The Irish Sun
21-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
I visited the UK seaside town that looks like it belongs in Italy – with multicoloured houses and open air pool
TUCKED away in rural Wales is a place that's been hailed as 'picture postcard perfect' for almost 100 years. In fact, 6 I took a trip to the small Italian-inspired village Portmeirion Credit: Alamy 6 My boys loved Portmeirion despite the lack of playgrounds and go-karts Credit: Catherine Lofthouse I took my boys to see why the North Wales holiday resort has been on the must-visit list for decades. With visitors likening it to 'a slice of Italy on the British coast', I had high hopes, but I wasn't sure what my boys would make of it considering it's quite far removed from our I needn't have worried though, as the Made up of colourful houses and vibrant gardens set around a bay, the charming hotel-cum-holiday-park features two four-star hotels, one of which is set inside a castle, plus a motor-home park and several self-catering cottages. There are accommodation options to suit everyone and it really has got the wow factor that makes you think you're a million miles away from Wales. There's no playground or family-friendly features, just an old-world charm that suits quiet, meandering rather than rambunctious roaming and boisterous boys. On arrival, we spent a happy few hours on the giant chess set in the garden while my littlest paddled in the shallow pool nearby. One of the big travel trends over the past few years is set-jetting - fans of film and TV using their holidays to take them to the sights they've seen on screen. Most read in Family Think Death in Paradise viewers heading to the Caribbean island of Guadaloupe or Harry Potter fans taking a train trip on the tracks of the Hogwarts Express. But that's been happening here at Portmeirion for 50 years now, after the site shot to fame when it was used to film TV show The Prisoner. Its unique look was the perfect backdrop for this cult classic, in which a government agent is abducted and held captive in an idyllic seaside village which turns out to be a prison. I've never seen the show as it was a bit before my time, but heading down a shady path through rhondendron bushes and trees towards the shoreline put me in mind of Rebecca, the famous Daphne du Maurier novel set on a Cornish coastal estate. And maybe that's the secret to this special spot - you feel like you're stepping onto a film set or into the pages of your favourite novel, but it's entirely your choice which fantasy world that might be. Saundersfoot - The little-known UK seaside resort town with one of the cleanest beaches in the country 6 Giant chess was a big hit with the boys Credit: Catherine Lofthouse 6 The village sits on the edge of coast looking out to sea Credit: Alamy To be honest, I wouldn't fancy spending thousands of pounds set-jetting, only to find the scenery from your favourite film or series is something of a letdown once you're there. But there's no chance of that happening here as there's something new to marvel at around every corner and so many little nooks and crannies to explore as you wind your way around the site and come across buildings, grottos and pools around every corner, framing the bay beyond. There's even an open air swimming pool for the use of holidaymakers staying in the cottages dotted around the village, the main hotel at its entrance or the motorhome park nearby. It's a century since architect Clough Williams-Ellis first started designing and building Portmeirion and it took 50 years to complete. His vision feels just as vibrant today as it ever did. A mile away is Minffordd station, where passengers can catch a train on the famous 6 The Portmeirion hotel has an open air swimming pool Credit: Alamy So you could make a bit of a day of it and tick off two unique Welsh experiences that should be on every Brit's bucket list. You don't have to be spending the night to enjoy the wealth of facilities, either. Day passes to Portmeirion cost £37 for one adult and two children, with lots of different family tickets up to two adults and five children for £79. If you're touring Wales in a motorhome, there are pitches here which start at £55 per night and include complimentary access to the site out of hours and use of the outdoor pool. That's an option to consider if you want to see for yourself why this Welsh wonder and OG set-jetting site is still going strong after a century in situ. Read more on the Irish Sun Plus, the And where you can find the 6 Portmeirion is an Italian-inspired village in North Wales Credit: Alamy
Scottish Sun
21-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
I visited the UK seaside town that looks like it belongs in Italy – with multicoloured houses and open air pool
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) TUCKED away in rural Wales is a place that's been hailed as 'picture postcard perfect' for almost 100 years. In fact, Portmeirion Village could even lay claim to pioneering the set-jetting trend. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 6 I took a trip to the small Italian-inspired village Portmeirion Credit: Alamy 6 My boys loved Portmeirion despite the lack of playgrounds and go-karts Credit: Catherine Lofthouse I took my boys to see why the North Wales holiday resort has been on the must-visit list for decades. With visitors likening it to 'a slice of Italy on the British coast', I had high hopes, but I wasn't sure what my boys would make of it considering it's quite far removed from our usual holiday haunt. I needn't have worried though, as the Portmeirion magic seems to cast a spell over young and old. Made up of colourful houses and vibrant gardens set around a bay, the charming hotel-cum-holiday-park features two four-star hotels, one of which is set inside a castle, plus a motor-home park and several self-catering cottages. There are accommodation options to suit everyone and it really has got the wow factor that makes you think you're a million miles away from Wales. There's no playground or family-friendly features, just an old-world charm that suits quiet, meandering rather than rambunctious roaming and boisterous boys. On arrival, we spent a happy few hours on the giant chess set in the garden while my littlest paddled in the shallow pool nearby. One of the big travel trends over the past few years is set-jetting - fans of film and TV using their holidays to take them to the sights they've seen on screen. Think Death in Paradise viewers heading to the Caribbean island of Guadaloupe or Harry Potter fans taking a train trip on the tracks of the Hogwarts Express. But that's been happening here at Portmeirion for 50 years now, after the site shot to fame when it was used to film TV show The Prisoner. Its unique look was the perfect backdrop for this cult classic, in which a government agent is abducted and held captive in an idyllic seaside village which turns out to be a prison. I've never seen the show as it was a bit before my time, but heading down a shady path through rhondendron bushes and trees towards the shoreline put me in mind of Rebecca, the famous Daphne du Maurier novel set on a Cornish coastal estate. And maybe that's the secret to this special spot - you feel like you're stepping onto a film set or into the pages of your favourite novel, but it's entirely your choice which fantasy world that might be. Saundersfoot - The little-known UK seaside resort town with one of the cleanest beaches in the country 6 Giant chess was a big hit with the boys Credit: Catherine Lofthouse 6 The village sits on the edge of coast looking out to sea Credit: Alamy To be honest, I wouldn't fancy spending thousands of pounds set-jetting, only to find the scenery from your favourite film or series is something of a letdown once you're there. But there's no chance of that happening here as there's something new to marvel at around every corner and so many little nooks and crannies to explore as you wind your way around the site and come across buildings, grottos and pools around every corner, framing the bay beyond. There's even an open air swimming pool for the use of holidaymakers staying in the cottages dotted around the village, the main hotel at its entrance or the motorhome park nearby. It's a century since architect Clough Williams-Ellis first started designing and building Portmeirion and it took 50 years to complete. His vision feels just as vibrant today as it ever did. A mile away is Minffordd station, where passengers can catch a train on the famous Ffestiniog and Welsh Highlands line, the world's oldest narrow gauge railway. 6 The Portmeirion hotel has an open air swimming pool Credit: Alamy So you could make a bit of a day of it and tick off two unique Welsh experiences that should be on every Brit's bucket list. You don't have to be spending the night to enjoy the wealth of facilities, either. Day passes to Portmeirion cost £37 for one adult and two children, with lots of different family tickets up to two adults and five children for £79. If you're touring Wales in a motorhome, there are pitches here which start at £55 per night and include complimentary access to the site out of hours and use of the outdoor pool. That's an option to consider if you want to see for yourself why this Welsh wonder and OG set-jetting site is still going strong after a century in situ. Plus, the Sun Travel team reveals our favourite seaside towns that are less than 90 minutes from London. And where you can find the best value summer holiday resort in Europe 2025.
The Irish Sun
19-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
English city that was once the country's ‘oldest town' is home to unique Barbie house and Harry Potter style train ride
DID you know that Colchester was once known for being England's oldest town? Despite this, it was actually given city status just two years ago as part of The Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations. 8 Colchester is also home to a train station that is barely used Credit: Alamy 8 The Chappel Viaduct looks like the bridge Hogwarts Express drive over in Harry Potter Credit: Alamy Colchester has a history stretched back thousands of years and was one of the very first Roman cities. The Essex city is also home to a train station that is barely used, and looks like something from Harry Potter. Chappel & Wakes Colne railway station in Colchester is around an hour from London, travelling to Liverpool Street station. Compared to some other regional train stations around the country, this one doesn't have many passengers. Read More on Essex Just 28,000 people use it a year, working out to around 77 passengers a day. The train station is right next to the Chappel Viaduct, with the huge brick structure built in the 1840s and measuring 1,066ft. It looks very similar to the Glenfinnan Viaduct in Scotland, which was used in Nearby is The Swan Inn pub right on the river, and their beer garden is found underneath the viaduct. Most read in City breaks And there is more history to Colchester too with it also being the place where the oldest hot cross bun in the world was baked. It was baked on Wyre Street in Colchester, on Good Friday 1807 - confirmed by the note on the bag it came in, and the bun is now rock hard. 'World's FASTEST bullet train' that can reach 280mph is unveiled - and it even has a dining car and plush business-class 8 The Swan Inn pub right on the river, and their beer garden is found underneath the viaduct Credit: Alamy Owned by a couple in Wormingford, the bun is older than the one kept in the British Museum, baked in 1869. While you won't be able to see the bun, something in Colchester you can't miss is the pink house. The six-bedroom mansion in Tiptree called the 'Eaton House Studio' is a dream to any fan of Barbie. The house boasts dozens of stylish rooms, each designed completely differently. There is a saloon and space-inspired kitchen, floral staircases, and unicorns in the garden. 8 The 'pink house' is a hot spot for celebrities and can also be rented out Credit: 8 The six-bedroom mansion in Tiptree called the 'Eaton House Studio' is a dream to any fan of Barbie Credit: 8 There a saloon and space inspired kitchen to floral staircases and unicorns in the garden Credit: It's attracted celebrity guests and was featured in Little Mix's Bounce Back music video. It was created by its artist owner Amy Griffith, who said she built it to "share my artistic vision with others". It can sleep 16 people and can be hired you even hire it out from £2,400 as it details on Plus, the And the 8 The house has attracted celebrity guests and was the featured in Little Mix's Bounce Back music video Credit: 8 Colchester was once England's oldest town and is now a city Credit: Alamy
