The beautiful UK island with hardly any tourists that's like being on a ‘different planet'

By Mieka Smiles, News Reporter

The Scottish island of Staffa has such unusual natural features it's otherwordly (Image: Getty)

A tiny Scottish island is so wonderfully weird-looking that it looks like it's on "a different planet". Scotland has a staggering amount of little islands with around 800 of them in existence.

Some are more worthy of a visit than others, however. Many boast glorious stretches of coastline and breathtaking landscapes but others are remote and have very little for sightseers.

One - called Staffa - is now attracting attention due to the quirkiness of its natural features that look other-wordly. Staffa was hardly known until 1772 when a botanist called Joseph Banks highlighted the wild natural beauty of the island. 

It soon became a must-see location with its famous visitors including Queen Victoria, Lord Tennyson, Jules Verne, Robert Louis Stevenson and John Keats.

The National Trust for Scotland explains more about the tiny island on its website. It said: “Escape the everyday! 

The weirdly wonderful geometric rock formations inside Fingal's Cave (Image: Getty)

“This little island (½ mile long and ¼ mile wide) off the west coast of Scotland looks like it may be from a different planet. 

“Its hexagonal columns were formed millions of years ago by volcanic eruptions and a vast blanket of lava that spread into the Atlantic Ocean. Years of waves crashing against these columns created the magnificent Fingal’s Cave.”

It explains that Staffa came into the care of the National Trust for Scotland in 1986. The island was a gift from John Elliott Jr of New York in honour of his wife Elly’s birthday and it was designated a National Nature Reserve in 2001.

Staffa has few tourists - but those who have been are also mesmerised by what’s on offer there.

Many have been taking to travel review website Tripadvisor to share more about their journeys to Staffa. One said: “Staffa, what a place.” 

The tiny island of Staffa from sea (Image: Getty)

They added: “This, undoubtedly is one of the best trips I have ever made. £30 on a boat, an hour on the island, a lifetime to remember. Out of this world....” Another said: "Amazing island. 

“This Hebrides island is a small, uninhabited, rocky island that can be reached by boat and is famous for its unusual basalt formations and the Fingal's Cave. 

“Fingal's Cave is just spectacular, but if you walk to the top of the island the views around are also amazing.”