Fingal's Cave, Staffa

Category

Library Item

Item no

24553

Title

Fingal's Cave, Staffa

Artist / maker

Valentine, James

Date

1863

Size

11.6 x 19.7 cm

Type

Photograph

Location

Edinburgh and Scottish Collection

Staffa is an island of the Inner Hebrides in Argyll and Bute. The Vikings gave it this name as its columnar basalt reminded them of their houses, which were built from vertically placed tree-logs

The island came to prominence in the late 18th century after a visit by Sir Joseph Banks. He and his fellow travellers extolled the beauty of the basalt columns and the island's main sea cavern, which Banks renamed 'Fingal's Cave'. Other famous people visited throughout the next two centuries, including Queen Victoria and Felix Mendelssohn. Mendelssohn's Hebrides Overture brought further fame to the island, which was by then uninhabited. Staffa is now in the care of the National Trust for Scotland.

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Related subjects

Landscape > Land > Rock formations

Landscape > Land > Rocks

Landscape > Water > Seas

Places > Scotland > Staffa

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