Off the coast of the Isle of Mull (Scotland) lies the small island of Staffa. The splendour of Fingal's Cave and the pillars of basalt make this island worth a visit. It is said to have inspired Mendelssohn to write his famous overture which they play when you visit the cave!

For me the visit was made all the more enjoyable by the close proximity we could get to the puffins. The overture always reminds me of my father's belief that this was not one of Mendelssohn's greatest works. My father was an orchestral musician and claimed that the words to the main theme were "I'm glad when it's over, I'm glad when it's over".

Staffa, Scotland

Added on December 1st 2004, updated 4th June 2009