Staffa · Fingal's Cave in 3D

Inner Hebrides

Inner Hebrides, west of Mull, Scotland

Staffa is a small island of basalt columns, the same lava as the Giant's Causeway. The sea has cut Fingal's Cave about 70 m into it; its Gaelic name means the cave of melody, for the way the swell booms inside. Mendelssohn came in 1829 and wrote the Hebrides Overture after the visit.

Where: Inner Hebrides, west of Mull, Scotland
Fingal's Cave: About 70 m deep, 20 m high
Rock: Basalt columns about 58 million years old
Music: Inspired Mendelssohn's Hebrides Overture (1829)

Official site

Walk Staffa · Fingal's Cave in 3D

A real-time 3D model, built from open elevation data and published measurements. Loads 2.5 MB when you start.

Works in VR on Meta Quest and other WebXR headsets: open this page in the headset's browser, start the 3D walk, then choose View in VR.

Staffa · Fingal's Cave rendered in real-time 3D

Walk it yourself. Works on this phone.

Part of the Celtic Shores pack: a one-time unlock in this browser.

Terrain from open elevation data · a 3D reconstruction, not a photograph · tags as in the app

Hear the guide

The narrator from the app reads each tour stop. Transcripts below.

Fingal's Cave
Known0:16

About 70 m deep and 20 m high, cut by the sea into the same basalt columns as the Giant's Causeway. The Gaelic name, Uamh-Binn, means the cave of melody: the swell booms inside.
The causeway
Known0:16

Visitors walk to the cave mouth along the tops of broken columns, holding a rope rail on the real island. Mendelssohn came in 1829 and wrote the Hebrides Overture after it.
Three layers
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Staffa is a slice of lava: rubbly tuff at the base, the tall columns, and a cap of jumbled smaller columns on top, all from eruptions about 58 million years ago.

How to visit Staffa · Fingal's Cave

Boat trips run to Staffa from Mull and Iona in the summer months, weather allowing. You walk to the cave mouth along the tops of broken columns with a rope rail.

Opening times and tickets change: check the official site. Official site

Open Staffa · Fingal's Cave in Farstep

The full site on your phone: a narrated guided tour, passport stamps, offline, and smoother graphics than a browser can give.

Narrated guided tour, stop by stop, in nine languages
Passport stamps for every hotspot and finished tour
Works offline once installed
Stonehenge free; other sites are one-time packs. No ads, no subscription.

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Staffa · Fingal's Cave: questions and answers

How deep is Fingal's Cave?

About 70 m deep and 20 m high, cut by the sea into basalt columns.

Can you go inside Fingal's Cave?

On a summer boat trip from Mull or Iona you can walk to the mouth of the cave and a short way in along the broken columns, holding a rope rail.

Can I walk around Staffa · Fingal's Cave in 3D?

Yes, in your browser. Everything on this page is free to read. Walking Staffa · Fingal's Cave in 3D is part of the Celtic Shores pack: a one-time purchase with no subscription, and signing in with the same account unlocks it in the Farstep app too.

Can I walk Staffa · Fingal's Cave in VR?

Yes, on a Meta Quest or another WebXR headset: open this page in the headset's browser, start the 3D walk, then choose View in VR. The left stick walks, the right stick turns and the trigger opens the fact cards.