Fingal's Cave

A sea cave built from hexagonal basalt columns on a Scottish isle/Natural Wonders

Fingal's Cave is a sea cave on the uninhabited island of Staffa in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. Formed entirely of hexagonal basalt columns created by the slow cooling of Paleocene lava flows roughly 60 million years ago, the cave is part of the same geological formation as the Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland. The cave is approximately 72 meters deep with a ceiling about 20 meters above sea level. Its unusual acoustics, caused by ocean swells reverberating off the columnar walls, inspired Felix Mendelssohn to compose 'The Hebrides' overture in 1830 after visiting the cave. The Gaelic name, Uamh-Binn, means 'cave of melody.' Despite its remote location, it attracts tens of thousands of visitors each year during the summer boat season.