Staffa, the Pillar Island
Staffa Island is a tiny island located in the Inner Hebrides, Scotland. This island is also known as Pillar Island. People named it as Pillar Island since this island has millions of pillars of hexagonal basalts which join together and form gigantic pillars. If you take some pictures form air- view, this island may look like a green mat which lies on pillars. Can you imagine how it looks like, a small green mat in the middle of Atlantic Ocean? This miraculous island is strongly recommended place for you to visit when you are in Scotland. Many famous people have already come and visited this picturesque island such as Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.
You are supposed to come in Staffa Island between May and September, those months are the best time to visit this awe islands. You also need to keep in mind that even if you visit Staffa in those months, you have to consider the weather and the sea condition. You are not recommended to visit this island unless the condition of the sea is calm since this place is the lack of anchorage. You may get into this island by boat trips from Oban, Ulva Ferry and Fionnport on Mull. Around 45 minutes or perhaps more needed to reach this island. Make sure that you wear a life jacket for the worst condition while you are on your way crossing to this beautiful island. Scotland has unstable weather; the sea conditions often change all of sudden.
Right from the start, Fionnport on Mull to the Staffa Island, you can enjoy the scenery such as the white sandy beach on the port and blue sea with its breeze. Having enjoyed the scenery, you will land on breathtaking Island in no time. Your boat will land in Treshnish Island, an inhabitant island of Staffa, where you will see a giant sea cave entrance is only a few feet away. Yeah, from this spot you may start your adventure in this awe island.
This Fingal Cave is the special in this Island. It is formed thousands of years ago on the ice age when this area is completely cover with the ice sheets; by year’s geology processes have formed this tiny island when the sea level raised. Millions pillars are shaped by hexagonal basalts which joined together; just like a huge cathedral, this Fingal Cave is adorned with pillars and rocky cliffs. Enhance, you will hear the sound of nature acoustic all over this place. This sound is produced by the waves of Atlantic Ocean that slams the wall of this Pillar Island. You can explore this Fingal Cave by a causeway that you will find right only a few feet from your boat landing.
Fingal Cave is not solely tourist attraction on this island; you can also enjoy the northwest side of this island. Staffa Island itself consists some islands which are called Treshnish Isles; it has two main islands which form Dutcman’s Cap and Lunga. These two islands are inhabitants; you can walk on it, enjoying the shag, puffin and guillemot colonies.
Picture: Calum57. Source: Flickr