 Giant's Causeway 
Giant's Causeway - Natural Wonder
Recommendation added: 22/01/2007 17:32
By: velvet202 (YSUK rating +184)velvet202 has been thanked 8 times for this contribution
"On the northern coast of County Antrim, climbing up the firmament from the sea is an enigmatic staircase of mostly hexagonal basalt columns and one of Ireland's most famous attractions. Westward, the Giant's Causeway stretches out to sea in the direction of Scotland, and its stepping stones steadily disappear underneath the surface of the water.
Managed by the National Trust, it was recently celebrated the fourth greatest natural wonder in the United Kingdom and has been featured in many famous photographs in both music and art. The probably most notable one is Led Zeppelin's platinum album Houses of the Holy, where it was featured on the cover.
For many centuries, visitors have admired the splendour and display of these mystifying stones, and contemplated on their origins. Some have tried to explain it scientifically, others mystically, but no answer has been satisfying enough to explain why these stones are where they are and how they actually got there.
The debate on the formation of the Giant's Causeway dates back to the seventeenth century. The Bishop of Derry visited the area in 1692, and on seeing the Causeway, he circulated news of his discovery around the erudite assemblies of Dublin and subsequently London. The news caused much controversy, and two years later, a paper on the Causeway's discovery and possible origins was submitted to the Royal Society of Dublin. Theories were abundant but two main assumptions materialized. The most common one was that the Causeway was the work of giants, but the theory which came to dominate in years to follow was that the phenomenon had been naturally formed.
Among those who believe that the Causeway was the work of giants, or were explicitly the work of Finn McCool, Ulster warrior and commander of the guardians of Ireland, opinions are still divided on how it was actually formed.
The romantic version is that Finn had fallen in love with a lady who lived on the island of Staffa in the Hebrides, and that the Causeway, leading as it does out to sea, was the beginning of a path, now underwater, which he built to facilitate his journey across the water to his love. This myth was supported by the existence of a similar formation of basalt columns leading out of the water on the island of Staffa. A more heroic story is that it was formed during Finn's battle with a Scottish adversary.
The scientific theory says that the formation of the Causeway occurred about sixty million years ago during the early Tertiary period when Antrim was subject to extreme igneous activity.
The columns of the Giant's Causeway are formed as a result of variation at which the lava cooled and contracted, and consequently fractured the resulting rock into the even blocks seen there today.
Although visitors are allowed to walk across some of the rocks' large and smooth surfaces, it is advisable to wear flat climbing shoes and walk only a short distance if you're not used to walking or climbing. Visitors with children are advised not to come too close to the high formations such as the Giant's Harp, or walk down to the shore.
Apart from offering breathtaking views on beautiful stone formations and the surrounding area, the Giant's Causeway is also well known as a haven for seabirds and a number of rare plants, which are under protection.
The stone formations are located 2 miles north off the town of Bushmills in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. Because the area is a tourist magnet, renting a car is advisable since the tourist shuffle buses can be quite crowded at times."
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