Amidst the glorious scenery and superb weather of the West Highlands, Wednesday 16 July saw the official unveiling of the NRHA plaque on Glenfinnan Viaduct. The project, which had won the Translink-sponsored Best Restored Structures Award at the 2025 ceremony, saw the restoration of one of the most important early concrete structures on the railway.
Representatives of the National Railway Heritage Awards, Translink, Network Rail and the contractors AmcoGiffen gathered underneath the curving viaduct where the plaque presented at the ceremony held in London in early December 2025 was officially unveiled by Anthony Stove on behalf of the sponsors Translink.
From April 2024, the entrants undertook a twelve-month project to restore and repair the structure to address deterioration in areas of the concrete structure whilst maintaining its historical and architectural significance. In order to achieve this bespoke concrete repair mixes were developed and tested for compatibility. Comprehensive testing was also carried out to ensure preservation of the structure’s heritage. This work was supported by conservation experts from the University of Dundee. The successful completion of the work sees this magnificent structure conserved for years to come.
The unveiled plaque on the viaduct with, from the left, Laura Craig (Network Rail), Alan Crocket, (AmcoGiffen) Technical services Director, Hannah Thomson (AmcoGiffen) Site Engineer, Darren McLaughlin, (AmcoGiffen) Senior Site Manager, Anthony Stove (Translink) and Tim Hedley-Jones, Director of the Railway Heritage Trust and an NRHA trustee.
The Grade A listed viaduct at Glenfinnan – now familiar to millions courtesy of the Harry Potter films – was constructed at the start of the 20th century by Robert McAlpine & Co for the North British Railway. Built in concrete – one of the pioneering railway structures built of the material – the viaduct remains the longest mass concrete railway bridge in Scotland. A complex 12-month project during 2024 and 2025 saw the structure repaired and restored; the work undertaken by AmcoGiffen and Network Rail saw the project awarded the Translink Award for the best restored structure at the 2025 National Railway Heritage Awards.