Getting to know the Treshnish Isles
Stretching over seven kilometres, the Treshnish Isles are one of the biggest draws on the West Coast of Scotland. The small Archipelago is formed by a series of small islands and skerries (a reef or rocky island), and is part of the Inner Hebrides chain of islands. Owned by the Hebridean trust, the islands were […]
The Beginner’s Guide to Fingal’s Cave
Fingal’s cave is one of Staffa’s most astonishing features and has been billed as one of the world’s most spectacular caves. Formed by a Paleocene lava flow and sculpted from hexagonally jointed basalt pillars, this remarkable cave appears as though hand crafted, due to the unique structure of the rock column layers. The basaltic pillars […]
Guillemots in the Southern Hebrides
Guillemots are spring and summer visitors to the Southern Hebrides and by far the biggest gathering of one species is the colony of guillemots at Harp Rock on Lunga in the Treshnish Isles. Guillemots nest and breed on extremely narrow ledges on the sheer cliffs and huge numbers, as many as 5000, are crammed together […]
Staffa Tours Boat Trips Resume 1st April 2014
Only a few weeks to go until we resume another amazing season of boat trips visiting the spectacular island of Staffa with the world famous Fingal’s Cave, the Treshnish Isles with its huge puffin colony and the waters around the Isle of Coll, feeding grounds for minke whales. Almost as soon as you board, porpoises, […]
Shoals of Tuna Spotted off the West Coast of Scotland!
Shoals of tuna have been spotted off the west coast of Scotland! Three shoals of up to 100 fish (believed to beBluefin tuna) have been seen ‘busting’ or breaching the surface of the water a few miles off the coast of St Kildaand were accompanied in their feeding frenzy by a huge flock of gannets, […]
Celebrating Mendelssohn’s Birthday
Today is composer Felix Mendelssohn’s birthday! Born in Germany in 1809, Mendelssohn is best known for his The Hebrides overture often incorrectly referred to as the Hebridean Overture Fingal’s Cave. During a visit to Scotland, he visited Fingal’s Cave on the Isle of Staffa on August 7th 1829. He was so moved and inspired by the cave, its massive, hexagonal […]