This is an Earthcache located on the island of Staffa,
approximately 6 miles (9 kilometres) north of Iona on the west
coast of Scotland.
'Fingal's Cave' on the Isle of Staffa is internationally famous,
having been the inspiration for musicians, artists, poets and
writers for many years. Sea swells racing into Fingal's Cave and
cascading down basalt steps create
rhythmic, eerie music made famous by composer Felix
Mendelssohn. The columnar basalt formations evident on Staffa
emerged as lava flows some 60 million years ago. The island's name
came from the Viking or Norse word for building stave, column or
pillar. The island and cave was brought to the attention of the
scientific world by Sir Joseph Banks (1743 - 1820) who was on route
to Iceland on a natural history trip. In his writings he compares
the island's appearances to lava, and it should be noted that this
came before Hutton's 'Theory of the Earth'. The island is composed
of columnar basalt and overlying 'slaggy' basalt, erupted as lava
flows from the Teritary Mull volcanic centre, and it is basalt
pillars that form the spectacular entrance to the cave itself.
Once lava erupted from fissures in this vast volcanic field and
spread across the landscape, travelling several kilometres from the
source. Although the columns within the basalt may look like
colossal crystals, they developed after the lava solidified. As the
rock cooled and contracted, cracks formed in the most efficient
pattern - hexagonal from the bird's-eye view. The resulting columns
vary from one to three meters across but appear remarkably uniform.
Because the cracks grew perpendicular to the cooling surface, the
columns tend to be vertical.
To claim this cache, please post a photograph of yourself at
Fingal's Cave cave with your GPSr. In addition, email me your
estimate of the height, width and depth of the cave. Please do
not go beyond the barrier in the cave.
Details of boat trips to the island can be found here.
Alternatively, private boats can moor at the published
coordinates.
Kind permission for this cache has been granted by The National
Trust for Scotland.
