Where is the giant's path? The Road of Legendary Giants. Chimneys of the Giant's Causeway

About 40 thousand huge stone columns are so closely adjacent to each other that it seems that some giant - a hero of Irish myths and legends - installed them here. The diameter of these pillars is from 30 to 50 centimeters, they have smooth tops and several edges (the quarter has five, the rest have four, seven and even nine corners). The Giant's Causeway (or as it is also called - the Giant's Causeway) is located in Northern Ireland close to small town Bushmills. It encircles the cliffs that are located on the Causeway Coast, and then gradually goes under water towards Scotland.

The scale of this amazing place amaze. If you look at the Giant's Causeway from above, it really looks extremely similar to a stone-paved road that stretches along the coast for 275 meters and goes into the Atlantic for another hundred and fifty meters.

The average height of the pillars is approximately six meters, although it is not uncommon to see columns twelve meters high. If you look at them from above, they are somewhat reminiscent of a honeycomb, since they organize hexagons between themselves that are so close to each other that it is quite difficult to insert even a thin knife between them.

Absolutely all the pillars are dark in color and incredibly hard - scientists explain this natural phenomenon by the fact that they consist mainly of basalt rich in magnesium and iron, which at the same time has no a large number of quartz. Thanks to this composition, the columns are able to successfully withstand the destructive effects of winds and stormy waves. Atlantic Ocean.

The columns of the Giant's Causeway in Ireland form three groups of sites:

1. Big trail. The columns of this group are the largest and begin near rocky mountains. At first they look like a cluster of huge stone steps, some of which reach up to six meters in height. Closer to the water, the steps gradually level out until they begin to form a stone-covered path, the width of which is from 20 to 30 meters.
2. Middle and Small trails. The pillars of these groups are located near the Great Path and are shaped more like mounds than a road. Since each of these pillars has a flat top, it is possible to carefully (especially near water, because they are extremely wet and slippery) move from one pillar to another.
3. Staffa Island. 130 km from the coast there is a small desert island Staffa (translated as “island of pillars”), on which there is a continuation of these columns. Between these pillars is the main attraction of the island - the huge Fingal Cave, which is about 80 meters long.

Cliffs

The columns themselves on the Causeway Coast are located around cliffs, to which people later gave rather original names. For example, two of them were named after the Harp (the columns from this cliff descend in a curved line to the coast) and the Organ (the straight and tall pillars located near it are very reminiscent of this musical instrument).

There are cliffs with such interesting names as the Giant's Loom, the Giant's Coffin, the Giant's Cannons, the Giant's Eyes. Here you can also look at the Giant's Shoe - a two-meter cobblestone that resembles this shoe (it was even calculated that the giant who wore such a product must have been at least 16 meters tall).

Chimneys of the Giant's Causeway

There's one more thing interesting place on the Giant's Causeway - chimneys, which several centuries ago frightened the already defeated "Invincible Armada".

This happened for a banal reason. Some pillars of the Giant's Causeway in Ireland not only tower on the coast, but also from the sea look like the chimneys of a huge castle. The Spaniards confused him with him and fired cannons at “enemy territory” - that is, absolutely deserted territory.

This story ended in tears for the Spaniards: their ship crashed on the rocks, and many people died. The treasures found from the ship, after they were raised from the bottom of the sea, can now be seen in the Ulster Museum, which is located in Belfast.

Legend

It is not surprising that the Giant's Causeway has its own legends and myths that explain its appearance and formation.

The ancient Irish believed that the Giant's Causeway was built Irish giant Finn McCool in order to get to his sworn enemy, a Scotsman who lived on Hebrides, and fight him in order to decide which of them is stronger.

Further versions are slightly different from each other. According to one of them, seeing that his opponent was larger and more powerful than him, Finn ran away. And when he saw that the Scot was pursuing him, he persuaded his wife to swaddle him like a child and leave him to sleep on the shore. According to another version, while the Irishman was building a road, he was so tired that he fell asleep on the coast, and his wife, seeing that his rival was approaching, swaddled him and passed him off as a child.

In any case, having seen the huge “baby”, the Scottish giant decided that it was better not to mess with his father and ran away, and so that the Irishman would not catch up with him, he destroyed the path.

Studying

Interestingly, the Giant's Causeway became widely known only at the end of the 17th century, when the Bishop of Derry began to intensively advertise this amazing place. And at the beginning of the 19th century, tourists began to appear here en masse.

Despite the fact that this area by the Department environment Northern Ireland declared national reserve, there are absolutely no areas closed to the public, and tourists can walk wherever they want and wherever they can get to. Tourists in this country quite like this fact.

The Giant's Causeway is unique in that, despite the fact that something similar exists in other parts of the globe, it is here that the largest concentration of such pillars is located. It is not surprising that for many centuries scientists have debated how exactly the Trail arose.

Some of them claimed that the giant pillars were actually huge crystals that arose a long time ago at the bottom of the ancient sea. Others said the pillars were actually petrified bamboo forest.

Nowadays, most scientists agree that the largest lava plain in Europe once existed here. It was formed thanks to a huge layer of limestone, which is located under the territory of Northern Ireland. In ancient times, molten lava flowed out through its faults during volcanic eruptions, which covered the earth with a layer of 180 meters, after which it began to cool and harden. But it did not become a shapeless mass because it was based on basalt.

After some time, during cooling, the lava began to slowly decrease in volume, and thanks to the basalt, hexagonal cracks formed on its surface. As the inner layers of magma began to cool, these cracks began to deepen and formed hexagonal columns.

This theory was confirmed by a group of scientists from Toronto who, after conducting experiments, were able to prove that the slower the magma cools, the larger the columns are. Thus, the secret of the appearance of such an amazing natural phenomenon How Ireland's Giant's Causeway Was Revealed... Or Not?

Ancient + modern = Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland is one of the four parts of Great Britain, and a rather interesting part of it. It was formed in 1921, and before that there were wars and powerful conflicts over the territory for many years.

On an area of ​​almost 14 square km there are 6 counties at once, the capital of this area is beautiful city Belfast. In this country, ancient buildings are combined in an original way with modern buildings, as well as with a unique nature - Ireland is rich in forests, bodies of water, including its own sea, and World Heritage sites.

The population of Ireland is very interesting, here you can meet both native Irish Catholics and British Protestants, there are also Anglo-Irish and Scots-Irish. Accordingly, they speak two languages ​​here - English and Irish.

The climate of this country is moderate, the winters here are quite warm and not very hot. summer season. At the same time, there is quite a lot of precipitation throughout the country, and the air is almost always humid. In summer average temperature– about +15 degrees, and in winter +5. July is the most hot month, when Ireland traditionally receives the most tourists.

A public holiday in Northern Ireland is St. Patrick's Day, the country's patron saint, who banished snakes from the island and brought Christianity. When you come to this holiday, you are surprised by the huge number of people on the streets dressed in the national green color. On this day, everyone walks, attends beer parties and indulges in the world famous dark Guinness beer.

Northern Ireland

When it comes to food, Northern Ireland is famous for its Ulster breakfast - scrambled eggs and sausages, soda scones and potato bread. Also here you can taste amazingly tasty meat and oysters; delicious food here is both in expensive restaurants and in small cafes.

What is also remarkable about Northern Ireland is its numerous legends and myths. Tourists visiting Ireland should definitely visit the Giant's Causeway - this is the main attraction, which is one of the UNESCO sites. The unusual embankment consists of countless columns, the largest reaching up to six meters in height. Locals believe in a legend according to which one hero, in order to fight a monster, specially drove large columns into the bottom of the sea and built a bridge from them. But the giant monster tricked his way into the city over this bridge, and subsequently, being frightened by his cunning deception, he fled back from the city in horror and broke the bridge. As a result, all that remained of it were bizarre columns resembling debris.

What else is worth visiting? The Harland & Wolff Shipyards is where the Titanic, known for its sad fate, was once built. For lovers quiet rest We can recommend visiting the ruins of Dunluce Castle, and for alcohol connoisseurs, an excursion to the Old Bushmills Distillery is suitable. Here you can see with your own eyes how the best whiskey is produced. Since Ireland is famous for its natural beauty, when visiting Rathlin Island, you can admire many various types birds living in natural conditions. But extreme sports enthusiasts will appreciate it suspension bridge Carrick Red Rope between two cliffs: walking across the 24 meter long bridge, you will see only the endless sea below you.

Northern Ireland is very rich in vibrant places and pleasant experiences. It is quite colorful and constantly attracts tourists from all over the world. By looking here, you can appreciate all the attractiveness and unusualness of this place, as well as experience the true Irish culture.

Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland

The Giant's Causeway is the most popular tourist attraction in Northern Ireland. This unique coastline is the result of volcanic intervention. Thanks to an eruption that occurred many centuries ago, about 40,000 basalt columns were formed here, extending into the sea, like steps for a real giant.

Once here, you will also be interested in climbing up and viewing the picturesque panorama. In this area, it is possible to rent (or come on an already rented) bicycle and ride along a designated route in the surrounding area.

The Giant's Causeway is a true miracle of nature

The Giant's Causeway (Giant's Causeway) is a unique coastal area, consisting of several tens of thousands of interconnected basalt columns formed as a result of ancient eruption volcano

Located in the north-east of Northern Ireland, about 3 km north of the Irish whiskey town of Bushmills. The road, as well as the Causeway Coast on which it is located, has been declared a site world heritage UNESCO in 1986, and a national reserve in 1987 by the Department of the Environment of Northern Ireland. The tops of the columns form a springboard that begins at the foot of the cliff and disappears under the surface of the sea. Most columns are hexagonal, although some have four, five, seven and eight corners. The highest is about 12 meters.

The Giant's Causeway amazes not only with its size, but also with its mysterious legends of origin. This impressive place rightfully deserves popularity and admiration.

60 million years ago powerful volcanoes shook the island.

About 60 million years ago, powerful volcanoes rocked this area. They raised columns of ash into the sky and threw large amounts of magma onto the surface of the earth. This event left the Irish a legacy of the mysterious Giant's Causeway. According to another legend, the giants themselves actually walked along it.

Once upon a time, a warrior from Irish mythology, Finn Mac Kumalo, was going to compete with a one-eyed giant named Hall. The latter lived overseas. Finn decided to build a bridge to the other side so as not to get his feet wet. With his sword he hewed out and drove into the bottom of the sea a whole row of stone columns. When he was tired, the warrior lay down to rest and fell asleep.

At this time, a formidable opponent himself came to him along this bridge. But they were never able to compete. It turned out that Finn had a very cunning wife. She passed off her sleeping husband as her little son. Pretending that she was waiting for her husband, she began to treat Hall to flatbreads with iron pans baked in them.

When Finn woke up, his wife gave him the same scones, only without the pans. Hall was very scared when he saw how quickly the child was eating the loaves. He imagined what the father of such a child should be like. Hall started to run. And the bridge could not withstand his terrible blows and broke.

Giant's Causeway in Ireland

In ancient times, the good giant Fin Mac Cool lived in Ireland with his wife Una, and across the strait from him, in Scotland, lived the evil giant Benadonna. The Scot constantly hurt and offended the Irishman. One day, Fin McCool shouted to Benadonna: “If I could swim, I would swim across the strait in a couple of minutes and give you a hard time, don’t mess around!”

But the Irishman did not know how to swim. Then he decided to build a bridge across the strait. For seven days and seven nights he did not close his eyes, dragged huge stone rods into the sea and built a bridge across the strait.

At the end he was very tired and thought: “Before I fight Benadonna, I should have a good rest” and went to bed. At this time, the Scottish giant saw the bridge and ran across it to Ireland.

He began to knock on the giant's door, but Fin Mac Cool was fast asleep. His wife Una got scared and came up with a trick: she swaddled him like a baby. Opening the door, she said to Benadonna: “Shhh! My baby is sleeping!”

The Scotsman looked at the “baby” and thought: “If Fin McCool’s child is so big, then what is he like?” Frightened, Benadonna ran back to Scotland, breaking the entire bridge behind him.

The Giant's Causeway is a UNESCO World Heritage Site

Only the very beginning of the Giant's Bridge, consisting of hexagonal basalt columns, which is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List and is one of the wonders of nature, has survived to this day.

Carrickfergus Castle.

One of the few examples of medieval fortifications in Northern Ireland that has survived to this day in almost its original form. The castle is the main and only attraction city ​​of the same name, located nearby. Today, Carrickfergus Castle is one of the country's largest centers for medieval studies.

The castle appeared in the 12th century, its appearance became a certain stage in the development of the British Isles. The castle was built by Anglo-Norman tribes, hence the very unusual name for the fort and the city that arose years later. According to historians' hypotheses, the founders of the castle were faced with the task of making it as impregnable as possible, which was realized over the years of construction. A castle was built on a steep cliff, which at that time completely excluded capture from the sea, and Belfast Lough became the most defensible bay in the country. All the towers of the castle were built from the strongest basalt and sandstone, mined nearby; the relatively high walls for that time, 20 meters, reached a thickness of up to four meters, which made the castle invulnerable even to cannon fire. A kind of pride of the castle was its unique defense against ground attacks, nicknamed by the enemies “the hole of death.” The hole is a gateway above the main gate of the castle, disguised to match the color of the wall.

At the moment of breaking through the gate or deliberately deceiving the enemy, unsuspecting infantrymen received a stream of boiling tar, oil or a pile of sharp stones on their heads. The path to retreat was cut off by a slamming secret grate. The principle of operation of the “death hole” is shown to all excursionists, which causes regular applause. In addition to a guided tour of the castle, you can book a walk around the bay, which allows you to view the walls of the fortress from different angles. Also inside the castle, costume performances on the theme of life in the Middle Ages are often held. Anyone can take part in them, as well as be a spectator. City of Carrickfergus this moment completely focused on the tourism business, the flow of tourists from all over the world cannot be called colossal, but thanks to inexpensive prices for local infrastructure, there is a certain demand. There are many Russians among the visitors to the city and the castle, which forced local entrepreneurs to create printed products in Russian in souvenir shops - guidebooks, booklets, memorial books about the city and the history of the castle.

Enniskillen Castle is one of the Northern Irish castles that have survived in almost their original appearance. The castle is located in County Fermanagh, on the border with Ireland, and is the main excursion attraction of this region. Despite enough rich history, Enniskillen Castle does not have an exact date of its foundation - all ancient documents were destroyed during numerous military operations in the county. However, it is officially accepted that the castle was founded at the very beginning of the 15th century by the Scottish Maguire clan.

The construction of the castle ensured the protection of the entire county from attacks by hostile neighbors, and for this purpose strong walls and high observation towers did a great job. In the 16th century, the territory of the castle became the epicenter of political intrigues, which resulted in the so-called Nine Years' War, when the confrontation between Elizabeth I and the Spanish crown reached its climax on the territory of Ireland, which was used by Spain as a military base. From that moment strategic importance The castle increased in size and was rebuilt several times, expanding the arsenal and the number of barracks for military personnel.

Starting from the 17th century, the castle became completely owned by the British Crown, and it began to be used against numerous skirmishes with the French; the stables and barracks built during that period can still be seen today. Now Enniskillen Castle is a huge museum complex dedicated to the centuries-old history of County Fermanagh. Among several dozen exhibition halls you can see exhibitions dedicated to both the military affairs of Ireland, starting from the 15th century, and the private life of people who lived in the castle and its surroundings. In addition to weapons, uniforms and armor, you can see household items, furniture, clothing and much more here.

Dunluce Castle is one of the oldest castles in Great Britain, located five kilometers from small town Portrush. Currently, the territory of the castle is ruins that are in a relatively safe state for visitors, which in turn are included in the list of specially protected by the state historical monuments. Founded in the 13th century, this castle served for many centuries as an impregnable border protecting the coast from attacks from the Atlantic Ocean. According to the scarce data that has survived to this day, this castle belonged to several wealthy families, but the last recorded owners are the Scottish clan of McDonald. The castle belonged to this clan until 1690. Shortly before this, very tragic pages in its history began.

In 1639, the owners of the castle hosted a dinner party with guests and musicians; at the height of the fun, the kitchen yard could not withstand the mass of the gathered guests and collapsed straight into the sea; not everyone managed to escape. The remaining part of the kitchen courtyard is now fenced off from visitors for security reasons, but it can be viewed from several points of the castle. Half a century after this tragic incident, the McDonald clan was completely bankrupt, and the castle was taken away as repayment of debts. The majestic medieval building was not restored; they decided to gradually dismantle it in order to obtain high-quality building materials, from which some other buildings in the surrounding area were later created.

Included in the list of historical and architectural monuments Northern Ireland had a castle only in late XIX century, since that time it has become a popular excursion site. Currently, tours of the castle are conducted regardless of the time of year, but you can only get here accompanied by a guide, whose services can be booked in the town of Portrush. A tour minibus will take you to the castle in a matter of minutes, and after the overview lectures, guests can go on a free walk around the surrounding areas.

Craigmore Viaduct

It's vintage railroad bridge, which is located near the village of Bessbrook, in County Armagh. Locals call their bridge “18 Arches”; it was built back in 1852. As tall as a 14-storey building, the Craymore Viaduct provides an excellent vantage point from which to admire the surrounding area. And its granite arches themselves are very beautiful.

Marble Arch Caverns

These caves were opened to tourists relatively recently - in 1985. There are many caves in Northern Ireland and they usually do not attract much interest from travelers. However, the Marble Arch Caves are a different matter entirely! You can sail under their arches by boat, which is much more interesting than just walking.

Lough Neagh – largest lake in the UK, one of the largest freshwater lakes in Europe. In fact, Northern Ireland owns only 90% of the lake’s area; its southern part is already on Irish territory. Lough Neagh is called the main freshwater area near Belfast, although the city is remote at a fairly decent distance of 30 kilometers. Despite the shallow depth - a maximum of 31 meters - there are a lot of wells for sampling drinking water, which is also used for industrial purposes. As for tourism, trips to the lake are consistently popular among guests from other countries.

It is recommended to choose a clear day for a walk along the shore, since during periods of rain and strong winds, the smooth surface of the lake can become the site of a real storm. Regardless of the choice of vantage point to start the excursion, this place will be distinguished by stunning views of both austere and unique Irish nature. In spring, on the shores of the lake you can see white swans arriving from their wintering grounds. The local legend about the origin of the lake again refers us to the national hero of Ireland - Finn, also known as Fingal.

The legend takes place during a period of regular battles between the Irish and Scottish tribes. Finn, as in most legends, appears here as a powerful hero, capable of controlling nature. According to an old legend, Lough Neagh arose on the spot where Finn took a piece of land to bring it to Scotland. The earth did not reach Scotland, but fell in the place where it is now famous island Maine, this explains its origin. In addition to national legends, Lough Neagh has become famous for much darker stories.

Over decades of study, archaeologists from all over the world have found confirmation that there were several dozen pagan altars around the lake, where the ancient inhabitants of this land worshiped a variety of deities. In addition, it is documented that in the Middle Ages, on the shore of the lake, priests carried out executions of heretics, which could not but affect the reputation of this place. Lovers paranormal phenomena People from all over the world come here to capture something unusual.

Residents of surrounding towns and villages are not too fond of the lake’s reputation and try not to give rise to stories in dubious magazines.

In Northern Ireland on the Causeway Coast there is unusual trail of 40,000 interconnected giant basalt columns formed as a result of an ancient volcanic eruption. It is called differently - the Giant's Causeway, the Causeway of Giants, the Giant's Causeway.

This natural attraction is located in County Antrim, 4.8 km from the town of Bushmills. The road stretches along the coast for 275 meters and goes into the waters of the Atlantic for another 150 meters. From above, the Giant's Causeway resembles a huge honeycomb.

According to scientists, intense volcanic activity occurred in this place 50-60 million years ago, during the Paleogene period. Molten basalt formed vast lava plateaus. As the substance cooled rapidly, the volume of the substance decreased (a similar thing is observed when mud dries). Time did the rest. Horizontal compression affected the shape of the columns of the Giant's Causeway. Most are hexagonal, although there are columns with four, five and seven sides.

The columns successfully withstand the destructive effects of winds and stormy waves of the Atlantic Ocean, as they consist mainly of solid volcanic rock - basalt rich in magnesium and iron.

It took millions of years for the columns of the Giant's Causeway to rise from the ground. Today the height of the columns reaches 6-12 meters.

The columns of the Giant's Causeway in Ireland form three groups of platforms: the Great Trail, the Middle and the Small Trail.

The columns of the Great Trail are the largest and begin near Antrim Rock. At first they look like a cluster of huge stone steps, some of which reach up to six meters in height. Closer to the water, the steps gradually level out until they begin to form a stone-covered road, the width of which is from 20 to 30 meters.

The pillars of the Middle and Small Paths are located near the Great Path and in shape are more likely to resemble mounds rather than a road. Since each of these columns has a flat top, it is possible to carefully move from one pillar to another.

The columns themselves on the Causeway Coast are located around cliffs, which people later gave original names to. For example, there is a cliff named after the Harp, since the columns from it descend to the coast in a curved line. 60 tall straight columns, reminiscent of the pipes of a huge organ, gave the name to another cliff.

There are cliffs with these interesting names, like the Giant's Loom, the Giant's Coffin, the Giant's Guns, the Giant's Eyes. Here you can also see the Giant's Shoe - a two-meter cobblestone that resembles these shoes. It was calculated that a giant who would wear such a product must be at least 16 meters tall.

Numerous myths and legends have appeared around this amazing place since ancient times. According to one of the legends, this road is nothing more than a bridge connecting the shores of Ireland with Scotland, which was built by the giant Finn Mac Cumal to fight an ancient one-eyed monster named Hall. With his sword, Finn hewed giant columns from basalt, drove them into the bottom of the Irish Sea and thus built a bridge. Tired of hard work, the giant lay down to rest.

At this time, the terrible Hall quickly crossed the new bridge to deal with his sleeping rival. But Finn's wife decided to outsmart the evil giant. She quickly swaddled her husband and gave him away as her little son, who was still so small that he was not even tall enough to reach his father’s waist. Imagining the power that the father of this “child” could have, Hall was horrified and ran away, destroying the bridge so that Finn could not catch up with him.

It's interesting that on east coast In the Northern Channel, off the coast of Scotland, there are exactly the same basalt columns as in Northern Ireland. These columns are part of the same lava flow that once formed the Giant's Causeway. However local residents It’s more pleasant to think that these are the remains of a bridge built by giants. After all, basalt columns in Scotland are located next to Fingal's Cave (another name for Finn McCool).

The Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland gained worldwide fame at the beginning of the 18th century, when the artist Suzanne Drury (1698-1770) presented watercolors of the unusual coastline to the public.

Since 1986, the Giant's Causeway, and the Causeway Coast on which it lies, has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Based on the site's article

The Giant's Causeway is known as the Causeway of Giants or the Giant's Causeway. This natural monument in Northern Ireland, which is a geological rock formation of about 40 thousand closely adjacent columns, mostly basalt. Flat-topped columns with a diameter of 30 to 50 cm, mostly having 6 sides (although 4, 5, 7 and 8-sided ones are also found), reach a height of 6 to 12 m and resemble a huge honeycomb from above.

The Giant's Causeway is located 3 km from the settlement of Bushmills and 100 km from Belfast on the Causeway Coast, with which it became a UNESCO world heritage site in 1986, and a year later - a national nature reserve of Ireland.

The Road of Giants is also called the Road to Nowhere, because appearance it resembles a springboard, starting at the foot of the cliff, stretching 275 m along the coast and extending 150 m into the waters of the Atlantic Ocean.

Platforms and cliffs

The Giant's Causeway consists of three sites: the Great Trail and the Middle and Little Trail mounds. The columns are located around the cliffs, which received original names due to their shape (Harp and Organ Cliffs, Giant's Loom, Giant's Eyes, Giant's Coffin, Giant's Cannons). Also here you can find the Giant's Shoe - a 2 m high cobblestone.

Geological version of origin

According to geologists, the Causeway of Giants, like the Causeway, was formed without human intervention. The miracle of nature appeared as a result of the eruption of an ancient volcano approximately 50-60 million years ago. The molten basalt formed wide lava plateaus, which contracted and cracked as they cooled rapidly.

It took millions of years for it to rise from the ground. Due to the hardness of the volcanic rock basalt, rich in iron and magnesium, the soil is resistant to the destructive effects of waves and wind.

Mythical origin version

According to one legend, the Giant's Causeway is a bridge between Ireland and Scotland, built by the legendary Celtic hero Finn McCool to confront the one-eyed giant monster Goll. While Finn, tired of building the bridge, fell asleep, Goll moved to the other side in order to deal with his sleeping opponent.

His wife came to McCool’s aid, swaddling her husband and passing him off as her little son, who had allegedly only grown to his father’s waist. The monster imagined what size and strength the father of this child could be, and ran away in horror, destroying the bridge so as not to be caught up.

It is noteworthy that off the coast of Scotland on the island of Staffa there are similar basalt columns surrounding Fingal's Cave (the middle name of Finn McCool). The attraction became known back in the 18th century. thanks to watercolors by artist Suzanne Drury.