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Great Britain. Staffa

Staffa is an island in the Inner Hebrides, 7 miles west of Mull and 6 miles northeast of Iona off the West Coast of Scotland. It became famous after its "discovery" by the naturalist Sir Joseph Banks in 1772 and even more famous as a result of Mendelssohn's visit in 1829 and consequent composition of the "Fingals Cave Overture". Fingals Cave itself is one of a number of remarkable caves that penetrate deeply into this outcrop of column-like formations of basalt.

The Laird of Staffa has established a Postal Service that operates daily from April to September. Mail is picked up and carried by a boatman to British Post Offices on Mull and Iona, where it is re-mailed with regular British postage added.

Local stamps, like those issued by Staffa, are used to prepay the delivery of mail within a city, island or region. Sometimes they prepay
express mail (same day or overnight service). Only the local stamps are used and the mail is delivered by the Local Post's employees and does not go through the national Post Office system. Examples - Many 19th Century Local Posts, Hawaii's Post, Lord Howe Island Courier Post These are genuine local posts as they provide a real service and the stamps and covers are very collectable.

1982, Mark Twain