A worker on the scenic Jacobite steam train, famed for its role in the Harry Potter films, has been reunited with a £10 note lost on a platform – thanks to an unexpected feathered courier. Florence Mclean, 65, who has worked on the West Highland Line railway for 31 years, lost the banknote when it blew out of her pocket as she boarded the train at Mallaig station.
The Jacobite, which runs between Fort William and Mallaig in Scotland, is the same route used for the iconic Hogwarts Express scenes in the Harry Potter movies. Mclean realised the money was missing only after the train had departed, and she promptly asked the ticket office worker to keep an eye out for it. Despite a thorough search later that day, the note was nowhere to be found.
A Magical Twist: Seagull Returns the Note
Two weeks later, Mclean returned to Mallaig and was astonished to see a seagull flying overhead with her £10 note in its beak. The bird dropped the money near her, delivering it as if by airmail. Recounting the incident, Mclean said: 'It’s the most unusual thing that has ever happened to me. I had been standing with a couple of other workers when one suddenly pointed and said, “Look! There’s a seagull flying over with your £10!” Don’t get me wrong, there are some silly things that have happened over the years – but this was bizarre!'
She added: 'The fact that it flew over there, when I am only in Mallaig for a couple of hours a day at lunchtime, and I’d only been standing there for five or ten minutes… I think it’s absolutely hilarious.' The serendipitous return has left her both amused and amazed.
Background on the Jacobite and Its Film Fame
The Jacobite has operated on the West Highland Line in various forms since the 1980s. The 41-mile route first became famous in 2001 as the backdrop for Harry's journey to Hogwarts in the first Harry Potter film. The original maroon steam locomotive used in the movies has since been moved to the Warner Bros. Studio Tour at Leavesden Studios near London, but the Jacobite continues to attract tourists and film fans alike.
This incident adds a quirky chapter to the railway's storied history, proving that even wildlife can be charmed by the magic of the Hogwarts Express.
