New staircase up on to tiny isle of Staffa completed

Improved paths and staircases have been built on the uninhabited Staffa to help visitors get to the famous Fingal's Cave and see the island's puffins.

The National Trust for Scotland (NTS) said the work, carried out over the autumn and winter, would make access safer and easier.

Last year the trust upgraded the isle's 30-year-old jetty, with helicopters being used to fly in contractors and material.

Staffa is famed for its hexagonal basalt rock columns, which were formed by ancient volcanic eruptions.

The tiny island, seven miles (11km) west of Mull, in the Inner Hebrides, came into the care of NTS 40 years ago in 1986.

It attracts a growing number of visitors and the old infrastructure on the island was no longer suitable for so many people.

Staffa's puffins are a key attraction as is Fingal's Cave, which inspired a piece of music by 19th century German composer Felix Mendelssohn.

The sea cave was formed more than 50 millions years ago, and is at least 69m (227ft) long.

The concrete steps to the upper part of the island are wider, stronger, less steep and more able to withstand extreme weather events.

They have been dyed the same colour as the natural rock to better blend them into the landscape.

Clea Warner, NTS regional director of the Highlands and Islands, said that they took seriously their responsibility to care for Staffa now and into the future.

She said: "Our recent infrastructure investments will have a long-term improvement on the visitor experience."

Will Boyd-Wallis, NTS operations manager for the North West Highlands, said it had been an "extremely complex infrastructure project made even more challenging by weather and difficulties accessing Staffa over the winter".