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This Chaotic And Awesome Staircase Was Actually Built By Nature

This Chaotic And Awesome Staircase Was Actually Built By Nature

So there’s this myth about a Irish giant named Fionn Mac Cumhaill who once accepted the challenge to battle the Scottish giant Benandonner. Fionn decided to build a causeway across the north channel to meet his contender, and that’s how the Giant’s Causeway was created.

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(Photo: spatialpan/Flickr)

While that story sounds pretty awesome, it’s probably not true. In actual fact the Giant’s Causeway, or Clochán na bhFomhórach in Irish, is actually not man-made (or giant-made), but in fact created after an ancient volcanic eruption.

About 40,000 basalt columns interlock on the shore forming chaotic stepping tones that start at the base of a mountain and descend towards the sea.

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(Photo: Supermac/Flickr)

Years ago, when the molten lava poured out from surrounding volcanos, it blended with the chalk beds and created a kind of plateau that cooled and cracked forming these uneven stepping stones. The majority of the basalt columns have six sides and the tallest ones are around 12 metres high.

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(Photo: David Young/Flickr)

In recent years the Giant’s Causeway has become a popular tourist destination for travellers to Northern Ireland. Entry to the causeway is £7.50 ($16AUD) and tickets can be purchased here.

(Lead image: spatialpan/Flickr)

Check out Qantas flights to the UK here.

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