It was Mendelssohn who perhaps came closest to capturing the magic
of Staffa in the Fingal's Cave overture,
which he wrote in 1832, having visited Staffa three years before.
Modern visitors often start excursions to the island from Fionnphort
on the Mull mainland, though boats also leave regularly from the
Iona pier. The voyage along the coastline of south-west Mull is
spectacular, with views of the precipitous cliffs of Ardmeanach
and the Wilderness of Burg.
The fantastic precision of Nature's work in building up the basaltic
columns on Staffa is due to the steady cooling of flows of lava
as they came into contact with a colder bedrock and were exposed
to the even more chilling effects of the weather of northern Scotland
on the outer surfaces. By some fluke of contraction on cooling the
result is perfect, mainly hexagonal, columns. Curves in the columns
were caused by the shape of the underlying rock over which the lava
flowed. Sometimes close inspection of the columns will reveal whitish
deposits between the joints, almost as though they were cemented.
In fact this is caused by salts such as calcite which were squeezed
out of the basalt by the immense forces of contraction as the rock
cooled.
The
approach to Staffa by sea is breathtaking, great basalt columns
flanking the deep caves which have inspired so much praise. Since
all the caves face south-east (with the exception of Clamshell which
faces due east) they are best seen by morning light. If you are
fortunate with weather conditions you will be able to land and explore
the natural wonders of Fingal's Cave (230 ft deep, 60 ft high, and
50 ft wide at the entrance); or Clamshell Cave (130 ft deep, 30
ft high, and 17 ft wide) where the columns are intricately curved
and distorted; from the mouth of this cave you will see a strange
rock just offshore, almost the shape of a pyramid: this is called
Am Buchaille ('the Herdsman').
Staffa attracted the attention of many of the great figures of
the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. The island became
an accepted venue on the cultural grand Tour of Europe. Its marvels
had first been made known after the visit of the naturalist Sir
Joseph Banks in 1772, when he was en route to Iceland. Banks wrote:
'Compared to this what are the cathedrals and palaces built
by men!
Mere models or playthings, imitations as his works will always
be when compared to those of nature.'
Shortly afterwards Johnson and Boswell made their celebrated excursion
to the highlands and islands, but could only view Staffa from the
sea as it was too rough to land. When Mendelssohn returned to the
mainland after his visit he immediately made for the piano to try
out the theme that had been inspired by the cave. He had hardly
laid a finger on the keys when he was brusquely interrupted by his
Scottish host who reminded him that it was Sunday and therefore
music was out of the question.
Excursions to the island became more and more popular, and a piper
was employed to play in the depths of Fingal's Cave to give additional
'atmosphere'. Scott, Keats and Wordsworth all wrote about their
visits in verse, the latter lamenting that he had to share the experience
with 'a motley crowd….hurried and hurrying, volatile and loud'.
In 1853 Tennyson echoed these sentiments when he found Staffa 'as
interesting as it could be with people chattering and forty minutes
to see it in'. This problem hadly affected Queen Victoria in 1847,
though her retinue was large enough. In her journal she wrote of
her visit:
As we rounded the point, the wonderful basaltic formation
came in sight. The appearance it presents is most extraordinary;
and when we turned the corner to go into the renowned Fingal's
Cave, the effect was splendid, like a great entrance into a vaulted
hall: it looked almost awful as we entered, and the barge heaved
up and down on the swell of the sea. The rocks, under water, were
all colours - pink, blue and green - which had a most beautiful
and varied effect. It was the first time the British standard
with a Queen of Great Britain, and her husband and children, had
ever entered Fingal's Cave, and the men gave three cheers, which
sounded very impressive there…
In the rather severe words of The Nature Conservancy it is a "spectacular
example of columnar jointing in Tertiary plateau lava flow".
In 1973 it was declared a Site of Special Scientific Interest.
About 60 million years ago intense volcanic activity in the area
and, specifically, on Mull, led to a blanket of lava being fed far
out into the Atlantic. Most has been eroded and dispersed, but Staffa,
the Treshnish Islands, and other small
islands have remained as stubborn outcrops. This is, of course,
a gross simplification of a complex geological story which is still
unfolding.
Staffa
consists of three layers of rock of different types, covered with
a surface of rich soil and lush grass. The lowest layer is tuff,
compressed volcanic ash and dust; the middle layer is composed of
the basaltic columns;and the uppermost is made up of jumbled and
fractured columns, and volcanic debris. The whole structure is best
appreciated from the sea a little way off the south of the island.
The slant of some four degrees downwards from west to east, caused
by disturbance deep down after the columns had been created, is
apparent. The lifting of the tuff above sea-level on the western
portion provided the opportunity for the sea to exploit areas of
weakness and so create the three main caves there.
The columns were formed within a single, massive flow of lava as
it cooled and solidified in a very gradual, controlled manner. As
the material cooled its volume shrank slightly and the narrow spaces
which separate the columns were created. Theoretically, every column
should be perfectly hexagonal in section if the cooling process
had occurred uniformly; but there would have been a multitude of
minor variations in the rock itselt and in its pattern of cooling,
leading to the considerable variety in column size and form that
we can readily detect.
The diverse pattern of soil types on Staffa, arising from the basaltic
lavas, allows a great range of plant communities to flourish. The
150 different higher plants constitute an unusually rich flora for
so small an island.
Despite
this wealth of plant life, there is almost no bracken; and no heather,
trees or shrubs. However, plentiful colour is provided by the sea
campion, thrift, buttercup, and by the rich lichens on the south-facing
colonnade near the major caves.
Thus, while the exceptional geological features are recognised
as being of outstanding importance, the whole island's ecosystem
which embraces its rock, soil, climate, topography, and the influences
of its marine location, is precious.
The
approach to Staffa by sea is breathtaking, great basalt columns
flanking the deep caves which have inspired so much praise. Since
all the caves face south-east (with the exception of Clamshell which
faces due east) they are best seen by morning light. If you are
fortunate with weather conditions you will be able to land and explore
the natural wonders of Fingal's Cave (230 ft deep, 60 ft high, and
50 ft wide at the entrance); or Clamshell Cave (130 ft deep, 30
ft high, and 17 ft wide) where the columns are intricately curved
and distorted; from the mouth of this cave you will see a strange
rock just offshore, almost the shape of a pyramid: this is called
Am Buchaille ('the Herdsman').
Staffa
consists of three layers of rock of different types, covered with
a surface of rich soil and lush grass. The lowest layer is tuff,
compressed volcanic ash and dust; the middle layer is composed of
the basaltic columns;and the uppermost is made up of jumbled and
fractured columns, and volcanic debris. The whole structure is best
appreciated from the sea a little way off the south of the island.
The slant of some four degrees downwards from west to east, caused
by disturbance deep down after the columns had been created, is
apparent. The lifting of the tuff above sea-level on the western
portion provided the opportunity for the sea to exploit areas of
weakness and so create the three main caves there.
Despite
this wealth of plant life, there is almost no bracken; and no heather,
trees or shrubs. However, plentiful colour is provided by the sea
campion, thrift, buttercup, and by the rich lichens on the south-facing
colonnade near the major caves.