Located just off the Scottish coast is the small, uninhabited Isle of Staffa. Visitors have dubbed it “magical” and “mystical,” with some even claiming that it looks like something from another planet.  Staffa’s unique hexagonal rock columns, formed millions of years ago by volcanic eruptions, are unlike anything else you can find on the planet.

Visitors to this unique destination will be following in the footsteps of Queen Victoria, whose visit marked the first time that a British monarch entered the island’s Fingal’s Cave. Writing about her visit, the Queen said described the cave as: “Extraordinary and splendid with all colours – pink, blue and green – which had a most beautiful and varied effect.”

Although Staffa’s history goes back centuries, with the Vikings giving it its name, it remained relatively unknown until 1772, when the botanist Joseph Banks highlighted the island’s unique natural beauty.

Following Banks’s promotion of the island, visitors flocked to see this unique landscape, including the poets John Keats, William Wordsworth, and Alfred, Lord Tennyson. The German composer, Felix Mendelssohn, also visited and was inspired by the acoustics of Fingal’s Cave, which led to the creation of his Hebrides Overture.

While Staffa has been uninhabited for much of its history, there was a family living there in 1772, but they had left by the end of the century. It came into the care of the National Trust for Scotland in 1986 and was designated a National Nature Reserve in 2001.

Visitors to Staffa have taken to TripAdvisor to share their thoughts, with one writing:  “This island is totally worth the visit! Firstly, there is the gorgeous Fingal’s Cave, which you marvel at the minute the boat approaches the island.

“The best part is you get to hike into the cave. The hike is a bit narrow, but they provide handrails and support to make it safely inside. On the upper side of Staffa are the puffins! If you are lucky. We got really lucky and it was their nesting time and we saw hundreds of them – such a beautiful sight!”

While a second penned: ” I have been to Staffa in 2017 and 2023. In 2023, I climbed to the top of the island. The last steps are really almost like a ladder and very steep. The metal safety bar was loose. I had no problems, but you need to be in good shape. Staffa is the most magical of places, not to be missed.”