Isle of Staffa

Seven miles off the west coast of Mull, Staffa is the most romantic and dramatic of Scotland's many uninhabited islands. On its south side, the perpendicular rockface features an imposing series of black basalt columns, known as the Colonnade, which have been cut by the sea into cathedralesque caverns, most notably Fingal's Cave. The Vikings knew about the island - the name derives from their word for "Island of Pillars" - but it wasn't until 1772 that it was "discovered" by the world. Turner painted it, Wordsworth explored it, but Mendelssohn's Die Fingalshöhle, inspired by the sounds of the sea-wracked caves he heard on a visit here in 1829, did most to popularize the place - after which Queen Victoria gave her blessing, too. The geological explanation for these polygonal basalt organ pipes is that they were created by a massive subterranean explosion some sixty million years ago. A huge mass of molten basalt burst forth onto land and, as it cooled, solidified into what are, essentially, crystals. To get to Staffa, you can join one of the many boat trips from Fionnphort, Iona, Ulva Ferry, Dervaig or even Oban. Staffa-only trips run from April to October and cost £12.50 per person on the Iolaire (tel 01681/700358), which sails out of Fionnphort and Iona twice daily; Turus Mara (tel 0800/085 8786, www.turusmara.com), which operates out of Ulva Ferry, costs a bit more as do Inter-Island Cruises (tel 01688/400264, www.jenny.mull.com), which run from Dervaig.

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