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.