TravelTips24 : Europe : British Isles : United Kingdom : Scotland : Hebrides : Inner Hebrides : Isle of Jura

Isle of Jura

Check out the new Isle of Jura travel forum

Isle of Jura is one of the Inner Hebrides islands, off the south-west coast of Scotland.

Culture and History

Jura, though fairly large in size, is a sparsely populated island with a population of approximately 180 people.

Jura has a large population of red deer (it is commonly believed that the name 'Jura' was derived from hjörtr, the Old Norse word for deer). The island is designated as a National Scenic Area and is dominated by three conical mountains known as the Paps of Jura which rise to over 2500 feet (762 m). The west coast of Jura is currently uninhabited but is home to a number of raised beaches.

A single-track road stretches from Feolin Ferry in the south west of the island and follows the coastline to Craighouse, the island's main settlement. This is where you will find the island's only shop and hotel which has the island's only pub and restaurant. The village of Craighouse is home to the island's only distillery, and church.

The road continues past Craighouse an northwards through the smaller settlements of Lagg, Tarbet and Ardlussa and provides some stunning views of the Paps and Jura's rugged coastline.

A private vehicle track runs from the road end to the far north of the island. This track passes Barnhill, where George Orwell lived towards the end of his life and where he wrote '1984'. This track provides the best access to a footpath leading to view of the Corryvrekkan whirlpool which lies between the northern tip of Jura and the Island of Scarba.

Travel to Isle of Jura & Visa Requirements

Jura's nearest city is Glasgow.

With no mainland ferry of its own, the majority of travellers to Jura arrive via Islay. However, there are plans to introduce a seasonal passenger ferry service between Crinan on the mainland and Craighouse on Jura. It is hoped this will be in place by summer 2007.

Two return flights are operated daily between Glasgow and Islay by British Airways.

Caledonian MacBrayne (CalMac) runs a number of vehicle ferries per day between Kennacraig (2.5 - 3 hours drive from Glasgow on the Mull of Kintyre) to Port Ellen or Port Askaig on Islay. Vehicle bookings should be made in advance as these sailings are often fully booked. The crossing takes 2 hours to Port Askaig and 2 hours and 10 minutes to Port Ellen.

A small car ferry operates across the Sound of Islay between Port Askaig on Islay and Feolin Ferry on Jura. From Feolin Ferry it is 8 miles to the island's main settlement, Craighouse.

In addition, a few of licensed boat owners provide a private water taxi service from the mainland to various points on Jura's east coast.

Tours & Getting around Isle of Jura

Jura is great for walkers, but lacks good public transport because of its remote nature. A public bus does run between Feolin / Craighouse and points further north in the island a number of times a day. The bus operates only on request so you must book in advance. It may be possible to book the bus for private hire.

Many visitors to Jura bring private cars over via the Kennacraig / Islay and Port Askaig / Feolin ferries. It is also possible to hire cars on Islay.

Cycling is a popular way to see the island and bikes can either be brought on the ferry or hired from the Jura Hotel. The island's only road is single-track and hilly in places and it can be frustrating to be progressing slowly but steadily uphill only to have to pull over when you meet a car.

It's said that hitch-hiking always comes with a risk, but Jura is probably one of the safest places in the world for this. The biggest risk generally is that you won't see another soul, especially away from Craighouse, so don't bank on it.

Isle of Jura attractions and sightseeing

Isle of Jura city tours

  • Isle of Jura Distillery in Craighouse, Jura's main settlement. Handily located just across the road from the pub.
  • Jura House Gardens at Ardfin, in the south of the island.
  • Attend a Ceilidh in Craighouse village hall. Over the summer months, if you visit Jura during a weekend you're more likely than not to find some form of Saturday night entertainment. The most common even is a ceilidh, where locals and visitors of all ages enthusiastically take to the floor for a 'wee dance'. Ceilidhs take place all year round and occasionally include a bar.

Isle of Jura souvenirs & shopping

  • Jura Stores the island's only shop may be small but it offers a wide range of food and non-food items including everything from fresh bread to fuses.
  • Jura Hotel may only have a 'gifts cabinet' but they manage to pack in lots of items - from postcards to jewellery and tea towels to hip flasks.

Isle of Jura Restaurants: cheap, moderate and expensive

  • Jura Hotel, Craighouse, Tel: +44 (0)1496 820 243. With the closure of the Antlers tearoom, this is the only place to have a meal out on the island. Luckily it has a good menu using local produce and all of the eating areas (dining room, lounge bar and bar) have beautiful views across Small Isles Bay.
  • The Tea Tent, Jura House Gardens, Ardfin. Operating in the summer only the tea tent in the gardens at Jura house offers home baking and beverages in a beautiful setting.

Isle of Jura nightlife, bars, clubs & pubs

  • Jura Hotel, Craighouse, Tel: +44 (0)1496 820 243. Again, the only place to drink on the island is the Jura Hotel, but you can choose between the lounge bar and public bar. The bar is the centre of the island's social life and can be a great place to meet locals, although it can get very busy during annual events or on the night of a ceilidh.

Isle of Jura cheap and luxurious hotels, youth hostels & lodging

  • Jura Hotel, Craighouse, Tel: +44 (0)1496 820 243. A small, family-run hotel in the heart of Jura's main village.

Contact

Get out

Didn't find what you were looking for.
Ask for advice at the Isle of Jura travel forum

This page was last edited at 11:48, on 14 August 2008 by Mark Sheffield. Based on work by David and Jani Patokallio, Wikitravel user(s) Episteme and Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel.

Content on this page is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 1.0 license