9 Things to Do in a Day on Jura

Jura, known as the ‘Deer Island’, and famous as the place where George Orwell wrote his dystopian novel, 1984, and where the pop band KLF burnt one million pounds in cash in a boat shed in 1994, sits off the west coast of Scotland and is part of the Inner Hebrides. With a population of around 250, the island has a close-knit community dominated by the ever-present Paps of Jura, visible from most parts of the island and giving the island a mountainous and rugged feel.

Despite its small population, Jura is deceptively big at around 30 miles long and seven miles wide. At its peak, the island was home to about 2,000 people. The island, unable to support high population levels, saw mass emigration throughout the 19th century as the population began to drop. Today, there are more deer than people – about 30 times more! – and the population has remained relatively stable in recent years.

Getting to Jura is easy; take the CalMac ferry from Kennacraig – on the west coast of Scotland – to Port Askaig in Islay before taking the small ferry across to Jura. Alternatively, a passenger ferry, for passengers and bikes, runs throughout the summer (and offers a shorter crossing).

From Islay, Jura’s profile appears wilder, more rugged and raw and, in many ways, more appealing to someone from the north who craves the familiarity of heather-clad hills that stand from the sea. Yet arriving in Craighouse, it once again felt like an unfamiliar landscape. The village is cocooned by the gentle Small Isles Bay, sheltered, for the most part, by the smattering of small islands and, beyond that, the Scottish mainland. Palm trees thrive by the sea, and deer pick amongst the seaweed in the evening. Jura felt unfamiliar and alluring, an island of contrasts.

Walk Corran Sands

Beyond Jura’s main village of Craighouse is Corran Sands, a sweeping stretch of beach that extends several miles, flanked by the island’s main road that passes through Craighouse, heading north towards Ardlussa. Backed by machair dunes, this is the perfect spot to connect with Jura, relax and enjoy some fresh sea air after the journey.

Look out for the outdoor musical instruments hidden amongst the machair, and give the islands a tune!

Visit the oldest resident to have lived in Jura

Take a walk from Craighouse to the picturesque township of Keils, where the most beautiful graveyard sits tucked into the hillside beside a tree-lined stream. The yard is the final resting place of many of Jura’s inhabitants over the years, including Gillouir MacCrain, whose headstone reads:

‘Gillouir MacCrain who “lived to have kept 180 Christmasses in his own house,” is buried here. He died about 1645.’

It’s hard to know what this inscription means; did he celebrate Christmas three times a year? Did he actually live to be 180 years old, or did he lie undiscovered in his house for generations after his passing? Whatever the truth, the bairns enjoyed the challenge of finding the oldest headstone in the yard as we contemplated the peace and tranquillity of this graveyard, which is quite possibly the most beautiful one I have visited.

Check out the distilleries

Jura has the ‘holy trinity’ of distilleries – with whisky, rum and gin all being produced on the island. In Craighouse, you’ll find Deer Island Rum and Jura Whisky, both accepting visitors and conducting tours that take you through the distillation process.

In Jura, they say – with a nod across the sound to Islay’s nine distilleries – that they only have one whisky distillery because they ‘got it right the first time’. And there’s a nugget of truth in there, as Jura is a beautifully balanced whisky. Its smooth, often sweet profile isn’t heavily peated or overpowering. The distillery, across the road from the hotel, offers daily tours and tastings to visitors keen to enjoy a taste of Uisge Beath – or the water of life.

Deer Island Rum, producers of small-batch, Scottish spiced rum, have created a fantastic product. I always maintained that I wasn’t a rum drinker – having suffered many nights of Stewarts or Jack Daniels as a teenager – but Deer Island was a different experience altogether. The rum, carefully blended, is spiced and fiery. Mixed with grapefruit or ginger beer, I was relieved not to relive those early teenage memories of ‘rum and coke’ when we visited Charlotte and Amy at the distillery to see how they made it!

Heading to the north of the island, Lussa Gin, which is described as ‘an expression of our wild landscape’, is housed in a beautiful, whitewashed outbuilding where the ‘official’ road ends. With their own botanicals growing around the doors, the creators of Lussa Gin are rightly proud of their enterprising spirit that contains 15 botanicals, giving it a distinctive zesty and aromatic flavour.

Take the road to Inverlussa

There is only one road in Jura, and it leads from the ferry at Feolin to Inverlussa, passing through Craighouse along the way. It’s worth driving north towards Ardlussa, where you must stop at Lussa Bay, have a splash in the sea, and admire the houses that sit by the water’s edge. The road through Jura is single carriageway, rutted in places, and winds its way across 25 miles of Jura’s dramatic and rugged landscape. The roads are quiet – but make sure you keep an eye out for the infamous ‘Ghost Car’, which appears as headlights in the distance but never arrives…

Admire the Paps

No matter where you are in Jura, the iconic Paps are never far from view. The Paps are a series of three mountains that dominate southern Jura. Beinn an Oir – the Mountain of Gold – is the highest at 785m (2576ft). The Paps can be climbed, but ensure that you are well-prepared and consider hiring Jura Guided for the hike, as there’s no formal trail to the top.

Spend some time in Craighouse

Jura’s only village, Craighouse, lines the shoreline overlooking Small Isles Bay, strung out like a string of beads following the bay’s curvature and the sea’s natural rhythm. Dominated by the imposing whitewashed presence of Jura Whisky’s distillery and the Jura Hotel, the village is a 15-minute drive from the ferry and sits on the island’s southeastern shores.

Most of Jura’s population live in Craighouse, and there’s a real buzz about the village. There’s something for everyone with a shop, cafe, whisky and rum distillery, a hotel with a restaurant and bar, and a craft shop and gallery. The beach and pier in front of the shop, in the centre of the village, are perfect for kids to explore, and a bag of buckets and spades provide hours of entertainment. For visiting yachts, moorings are available for a small fee, and a passenger-only ferry runs from here to the Scottish mainland throughout the summer.

Eat at the Jura Hotel

Jura Hotel, with views across the Small Isles Bay, is the perfect place to stay on the island. With a warm and welcoming feel, it’s right in the heart of Craighouse and has welcomed guests since the 1960s. Serving fantastic food – I’ve never seen such a big venison burger! - and a showstopping breakfast, Jura Hotel is the perfect place to stage your adventure from. The rooms are modern and clean, and books, maps and tourist information are available for guests to plan their stay.

Delve into the island’s history

In Craighouse, the Jura Parish Church has a fascinating local history display housed in a little room at the back of the building. This room was the ‘laird’s loft’ and is accessed by an external set of stairs at the back of the building. Here you’ll find photographs lining the walls of days gone by, sepia faces of past islanders who eked out an existence by spade and plough, a crofting way of life that depended on the cyclical nature of the seasons that’s now almost confined to history throughout the Highlands and Islands.

The 18th-century church is warm and welcoming, with activities, pens and colouring books laid out for children and beautiful windows – some stained – pouring in light from the east. Outside the church is a stone bench where Gaelic speakers sat and waited for their service.

If you’re feeling fit, park at Inverlussa and walk out to Barnhill, a farmhouse in the north of the island, to see the house where George Orwell wrote 1984. Please note that this is a private residence. From here, head to the northernmost part of the island to witness the Corryvreckan – a whirlpool caused by the meeting of tides between Jura and Scarba.

Enjoy Tea on the Beach

Visiting in October, we missed our chance to experience Tea on the Beach, but I decided to include this one as it looks fantastic and has rave reviews! Tea on the Beach is run by six local kids selling homemade cakes and hot drinks from a horsebox in a field near Inverlussa Beach, in the island’s north end. (Open 10-5 April to September). Operating on an honesty system, visitors select what they want and leave the money in a cash tin. It goes without saying that the best place to enjoy your tea and cakes is on the beach!