Hello and welcome to Stories of Scotland.

We have a podcast about Scottish history, folklore, environments and communities.

I'm Annie, a full moon, gliding on the wind. And I'm Jenny,

The Wind. We have a very special episode for you today, because we are looking at one of the most

impressive and awe-inspiring places in all of Scotland. It's one of my favourite rock formations in all the land, and it tells the

fascinating story of molten rock within the earth, reaching its fiery fingertips up in a salute

to the sea. Today we are exploring the stunning location of Fingles Cave. This cave is part of the island of Staffa,

one of the inner Hebrides, which are a group of islands scattered in the sea along the west coast of mainland Scotland.

It's only half a mile long and a quarter mile wide. And while it is uninhabited by humans, it's home to a rich

diversity of wildlife, including Scotland's favourite little clown-like bird, the puffin. You can visit the

island by hopping on a guideboat from either Mull or Iona. And this is literally top of my long

Scottish bucket list. I just cannot wait to visit Fingles Cave. Staffa is visible from the islands

of Iona and Mull and it has been well known by the local population and the wider Gallic world

for millennia. However,

Staffa only came to the attention of the English-speaking world in 1772, thanks to botanist

Joseph Banks. Whilst travelling round the Inner Hebrides, a local man tells Banks of an awe-inspiring cave, made of towering pillars of stone.

This absolutely intrigues Banks, and so he insists that the local man takes him to Staffer.

And when Banks returns to the mainland, he claims to have discovered

the cave himself. Ah, that's it, Annie, the true spirit of discovery. Being shown something cool

by a local and then acting as though you were the first to find it. It's the British way journey.

However, Banks does write a lovely description of

Stafford in the 1700s. So, shall we read from the archives? Banks is English, Jenny, so you can do your

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