Editing Staffa (section)

{{Short description|Island of the Inner Hebrides in Argyll and Bute, Scotland}}
{{Other uses|Staffa (disambiguation)}}
{{Good article}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}}
{{Infobox Scottish island
|coordinates = {{coord|56.43|-6.33|display=inline}}
|Image=STAFFA ISLAND - aerial view.gif
|ImageCaption=Aerial view of Staffa, with The Colonnade in the foreground and Am Buchaille to the right
|location_map=Scotland Argyll and Bute
|caption=Staffa shown within Argyll and Bute
|GridReference=NM323355
|celtic name= Stafa
|norse name= stafi-oy
|meaning of name= Old Norse for 'stave or pillar island'.
|area= {{cvt|33|ha|sqmi|frac=16}}
|area rank= 0
|highest elevation= {{cvt|42|m|ft|0}}
|Population= Uninhabited since 1800
|population rank=
|main settlement=
|island group= [[Isle of Mull|Mull]]
|local authority=[[Argyll and Bute]]
|references=<ref name= Smith>Haswell-Smith (2004) pp. 124&ndash;27</ref><ref>Ordnance Survey 1:50,000 First Series (1976) Sheet 48</ref><ref name=MacT/>
}}

'''Staffa''' ({{langx|gd|Stafa}},<ref name=MacT>{{Gaelic Placenames}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.smo.uhi.ac.uk/gaidhlig/faclair/sbg/lorg.php?facal=Staffa&seorsa=Beurla&tairg=Lorg&eis_saor=on|title=Staffa|website=[[Sabhal Mòr Ostaig]]|access-date=2020-08-25}}</ref> {{IPA|gd|ˈs̪t̪afa|pron}}, from the [[Old Norse]] for stave or pillar island) is an island of the [[Inner Hebrides]] in [[Argyll and Bute]], [[Scotland]]. The [[Vikings]] gave it this name as its columnar [[basalt]] reminded them of their houses, which were built from vertically placed tree-logs.<ref>Murray (1973) p. 44</ref>

Staffa lies about {{convert|10|km|mi|0|abbr=off}} west of the [[Isle of Mull]]; its area is {{convert|33|ha|acre|0}}<ref>This is Haswell-Smith's estimate. Keay (1994) states {{convert|28|ha|acre}}.</ref> and the highest point is {{convert|42|m|ft|0|abbr=off}} above [[sea level]].

The island came to prominence in the late 18th century after a visit by [[Sir Joseph Banks]]. He and his fellow-travellers extolled the natural beauty of the basalt columns in general and of the island's main sea cavern, which Banks renamed '[[Fingal's Cave]]'. Their visit was followed by those of many other prominent personalities throughout the next two centuries, including [[Queen Victoria]] and [[Felix Mendelssohn]]. The latter's ''[[Hebrides Overture]]'' brought further fame to the island, which was by then uninhabited. It is now in the care of the [[National Trust for Scotland]].<ref name=Keay/>