Scotland
Staffa
Uninhabited basalt island famed for Fingal's Cave, whose hexagonal columns inspired Mendelssohn's overture.
Open on the map →
- Typesea island
- GroupInner Hebrides
- Area0.3013 km²
- Population0
- Location56.43, -6.34
- Highest point42.0 m
Part of the Scotland islands map and the Inner Hebrides collection.
Names
Scottish Gaelic: Stafa; Irish: Stafa; Welsh: Stafa
Geography
Formed by the same Palaeocene lava flow as Northern Ireland's Giant's Causeway. Fingal's Cave is 20 m high and 70 m deep.
History
Sir Joseph Banks 'rediscovered' Staffa for science in 1772; Queen Victoria, Walter Scott, Wordsworth and Verne all visited.
How to reach it
Day boat trips from Mull (Fionnphort or Ulva Ferry) and from Iona, weather permitting.
Accommodation
None — visited as a day trip only.
Nearby and related islands
Sources
- Wikidata · Q250117 · CC0
Last reviewed: 2026-08-13.