Staffa & Fingal's Cave

Have to say I'm not quite sure where to start with a post. I've got so many photos but I think I'll go with Staffa & Fingal's Cave, Scotland. The photos are not as clear as I hoped mainly because of the wind, it was really hard to keep the camera steady & often I was hanging onto the rail with one hand to keep my balance.

As you can see it was the usual Scottish weather, the water was a bit rough but not too bad, it was chilly & a bit grey but not too dreek!

We had to take a small boat out from Ffionphort on the Isle of Mull to Staffa. I have seen photos of Staff & Fingal's Cave but I wasn't prepared for what I encountered. I thought you could just land & walk into the cave. No such luck!

Here we are getting off the little boat onto the jetty.

Looking up you can see there could be climbing involved!

Now heights are not my style so I opted out of going up to see the puffins, much as I love them.

It was amazing to see the thrift growing between those basalt columns with no soil & despite the sea water washing them.

So ye tak the high road & I'll tak the low! I chose the low path to Fingal's Cave.

Not quite as easy as I thought. It got 

higher & narrower. 

It was perishing cold & I wished I'd brought some gloves.

I didn't dare take photos at the narrowest point. It was very windy & really cold so didn't want to lose my grip on the rail.

 

It's getting wider & flatter here & the rail has disappeared......for now! That lulled me into a false sense of security.

                   

Here we are at the entrance to the cave & the rail is back thank goodness!



 

Just look at the colour of the water it's gorgeous. I kept thinking of Mendelssohn's The Hebrides Overture when I was looking at the water rushing in & out.  

                      

                     

Now I did wonder whether I should venture in any further but in for a penny in for a pound as they say.

       

but no safety rails here! I did wonder what would happen if anyone slipped & fell in. There were no lifebelts! It was a bit of a drop plus the water was gushing in & out of the cave.

      

 Not sure whether you'd call this a roof or a ceiling because the columns reminded me of the structure of a cathedral. I think Gaudi would have been thoroughly at home here.

 Looking out of the cave you can see how narrow the ledge is & the drop. 

 I made it out!

Everyone got back safely & thankfully the boat came back for us & the boat's dog. By this time I was wondering whether we were suffering from hypothermia!

We considered ourselves very lucky to have been able to land there that day as the previous day the weather had been terrible.

 

Here's the beautiful music of Mendelssohn that The Hebrides & especially Fingal's Cave inspired: