The Isle of Jura is a real gem of an island, with several claims to fame – it has only 200 residents but over 6,000 red deer (Jura means Island of the Deer in Gaelic); the band KLF burned £1 million on the island as performance art in 1994; George Orwell wrote the novel 1984 whilst living on Jura; you can view the world’s 3rd biggest whirlpool Corryvreckan here; and by the way, Jura also produces a world class single malt whisky! So in terms of its small size, Jura really punches above its weight. What to know more?
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Where is the Isle of Jura?
The Isle of Jura lies at the northern end of the Isle of Islay, Scotland. It is only 28 miles long and 8 miles wide and is one of the wildest islands in the Inner Hebrides. In fact, the west side of the island is pretty much uninhabited, and the single road runs up the eastern side.
Craighouse is the only proper village on Jura with one hotel, a shop/post office, tearoom, distillery and cluster of houses. When we visited there was a mobile bank parked in the car park!
Getting to the Isle of Jura from Islay
Take the Jura Ferry (‘wee ferry’)
If you have based on the Isle of Islay and wish to visit Jura, you can take the ‘wee ferry’ from Port Askraig (Islay) to Feolin (Jura). The car ferry is small and only holds 7 cars at a time to make the 10-minute ferry crossing over the Sound of Islay, half a mile across. You don’t need to book in advance and can pay on the ferry or prepay on-line if you prefer. Note – the ‘wee ferry’ will be cancelled if the wind is high.
As you make the short ferry crossing to Jura, admire the Paps of Jura, the mountainous peaks to your left which dominate the landscape. When you arrive on the Isle of Jura, follow the single lane road east for 8 miles to the main town of Craighouse.
Note – Watch out for deer on the roads. We say one on the way from the ferry and one on the way back!
Getting to the Isle of Jura from elsewhere
You can take the Jura Passenger Ferry from Tayvallich on the mainland to Craighouse (Jura) between April and September. The route is covered by a fast catamaran which takes less than one hour. You can take bikes and dogs on the passenger ferry.
What to see on the Isle of Jura?
Visiting Jura for the day
If you visit for a day from Islay, then you will probably spend most of your time around Craighouse where most of the ‘action’ takes place.
Jura Distillery – Book a tour of the Jura Distillery to learn more about its history, whisky making process and single malt whiskies. The history of the Jura Distillery has had its ups and downs, founded in 1810 by the Campbells, before closing for over 50 years after the landlord began charging too much rent. The brewery restarted in 1963 using equipment from Tadcaster Brewery down the road from our home in Yorkshire – small world!
Today they use lantern shaped stills which hold 24,000 litres. After distillation this amount reduces by half to 12,000 litres for the next stage of the process. The process in tall stills produces lighter whisky – the taller the still, the lighter the whisky produced.
Unlike many of the whiskies produced on Islay, the Jura whiskies are not peaty. The tasting allowed us to try whiskies matured in different caskets – sherry, rum, red wine and matured for different lengths of time.
Note – Jura Distillery is not open on a weekend, and so you will need to plan around this when you organise your visit.
Food and drink – before our tour of the Jura Distillery, we grabbed a coffee and lemon drizzle cake from Antlers Café and sat outside on the outdoor patio overlooking the water. After the distillery tour, we visited The Jura Pub (attached to The Jura Hotel) for a pint.
Photo exhibition at Jura Church – for old photographs and a glimpse of what the Isle of Jura was like though history, pop into the church to view the photos on display.
The Whisky Island Gallery & Studio – for modern photographs of both Jura and Islay (landscapes and wildlife), head to The Whisky Island Gallery at Pier Garage, Craighouse, to view the stunning work of Polish Photographer, Konrad Borkowski. Buy some prints or take a photography class with Konrad.
Deer Island Rum Distillery – Next door to The Whisky Gallery at Pier Garage in Craighouse, is the Deer Island Rum Distillery selling locally made rum.
Jura Boat Tour – rather than visiting the Jura Distillery, you could prioritise a RIB boat tour to view the Carryvreckan whirlpool or spot wildlife. The Corryvreckan whirlpool between Jura and the Isle of Scarba is one of the most powerful whirlpools in the world. Best to see between March and September (between the Spring and Autumn equinoxes), you will be amazed by its thundering noise and vortex which can be up to 10 meters in diameter.
Staying on the Isle of Jura
Where to stay – The Jura Hotel is a popular choice (and the only hotel on Jura) in a great position on the waterfront in Craighouse. Otherwise, you need to look for B&Bs or self-catering cottages nearby.
Walking – you could attempt the challenging ascent of the Paps or walk some of the West Coast Walk which is difficult and rugged, and requires stays in bothies along the way.
Visit the Lussa Gin Distillery – a small, family run distillery in the north of the island which used local botanicals and island water for its production.
Seas the Day – have fun hiring pedal boards and trying them out on the water. Keep your eyes peeled for seals and otters!
George Orwell on Jura
George Orwell lived at the remote house, Barnhill, on the Isle of Jura for 6 months, during which time he wrote his most famous novel 1984. Barnhill is now under private ownership and so you cannot drive up to the house. If you feel at all short-changed by this, then watch the movie version of 1984 or read the book when you get back home!
A visit to Jura from the Isle of Islay worked very well. In fact, it felt like a mini holiday within a holiday!
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