Anger as graffiti found at Fingal's Cave

Graffiti has been left at the world-famous Fingal’s Cave on the Isle of Staffa.

The graffiti was left at Fingal's Cave on the Isle of Staffa, which sits around six miles west of Mull. PIC: Flickr/Rosa Menkman

The intrepid dauber left the tag Elf on the towering basalt columns that form part of the natural wonder.

Photographer Gordon Bruce posted images of the graffiti on socia media.

He said: “In ten years of visits to Staffa, I’ve never seen anyone leave graffiti (save for the names carved in the hard basalt by sailors of old). Elf, you’re an eejit.”

National Trust for Scotland, which owns Staffa, said the graffiti was an “act of idiocy” given the financial hardships at the charity and the work being done to open up properties following lockdown.

It said it was taking advice on how to deal with the graffiti with staff due to attempt to remove it on their next trip to the island.

Staffa sits in the Inner Hebrides with a number of boat tours running from Mull, which sits six miles away.

Those responsible for leaving the graffiti came in for criticism on social media.

One Twitter user said: “Alternative and stronger words than eejit are coming to mind”.

Clea Warner, General Manager Highlands & Islands, National Trust for Scotland said: “It’s incredibly disappointing to see damage like this, especially at this time when resources are so limited and we’re trying our best to make properties around the country presentable for everyone who has been stuck inside for so long.

" The money that we spend cleaning up this act of idiocy will mean that something else doesn’t get done elsewhere, it’s as simple as that.”

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