Isle of Jura
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Jura ( ; gd, Diùra; sco, Jura) is an island in the
Inner Hebrides The Inner Hebrides (; Scottish Gaelic: ''Na h-Eileanan a-staigh'', "the inner isles") is an archipelago off the west coast of mainland Scotland, to the south east of the Outer Hebrides. Together these two island chains form the Hebrides, whic ...
of Scotland, adjacent to and northeast of
Islay Islay ( ; gd, Ìle, sco, Ila) is the southernmost island of the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. Known as "The Queen of the Hebrides", it lies in Argyll just south west of Jura, Scotland, Jura and around north of the Northern Irish coast. The isl ...
. With an area of , and 196 inhabitants recorded in the 2011 census, Jura is more sparsely populated than Islay, and is one of the least densely populated islands of Scotland: in a list of the
islands of Scotland This is a list of islands of Scotland, the mainland of which is part of the island of Great Britain. Also included are various other related tables and lists. The definition of an offshore island used in this list is "land that is surrounded by ...
ranked by size, Jura comes eighth, whereas by population it comes 31st. The island is mountainous, bare and largely infertile, covered by extensive areas of
blanket bog Blanket bog or blanket mire, also known as featherbed bog, is an area of peatland, forming where there is a climate of high rainfall and a low level of evapotranspiration, allowing peat to develop not only in wet hollows but over large expanses o ...
. The main settlement is the east coast village of
Craighouse Craighouse ( gd, Taigh na Creige) is the main settlement and capital of the Scottish Inner Hebridean island of Jura, in Argyll and Bute. In 1971 it had a population of 113. The village is situated on the sheltered east coast of the island at t ...
. The
Jura distillery Jura distillery is a Scotch whisky distillery on the island of Jura in the Inner Hebrides off the West Coast of Scotland. The distillery is owned by Glasgow founded and based Whyte and Mackay, which in turn is owned by Philippines-based Emp ...
, producing Isle of Jura single malt whisky, is in the village, as is the island's rum distillery which opened in 2021. Craighouse also houses the island's shop, church, primary school, the Jura hotel and bar, a gallery, craft shop, tearoom and the community run petrol pumps. North of Craighouse are a number of other small settlements on or near the east coast:
Keils Keils formerly Kilearnadill is a hamlet from Craighouse on the island of Jura, in the council area of Argyll and Bute, Scotland. Keils is located on a wide elevated but distinct ridge. History The name "Keils" means "Cell". Landmarks On the ...
, Knockrome, Ardfernal, Lagg,
Tarbert Tarbert ( gd, An Tairbeart) is a place name in Scotland and Ireland. Places named Tarbert are characterised by a narrow strip of land, or isthmus. This can be where two lochs nearly meet, or a causeway out to an island. Etymology All placenames ...
,
Ardlussa Ardlussa is a hamlet and estate on The Long Road, just north of the Lussa River, overlooking Ardlussa Bay on the east coast of the island of Jura, in the council area of Argyll and Bute, Scotland. Estate buildings line the road, and the area fe ...
(home of Lussa Gin) and
Inverlussa Inverlussa is a hamlet southwest of Ardlussa and 14 miles from Craighouse at the mouth of Lussa River on the east coast of the island of Jura, in the council area of Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It is largely a linear settlement A linear settle ...
.
George Orwell Eric Arthur Blair (25 June 1903 – 21 January 1950), better known by his pen name George Orwell, was an English novelist, essayist, journalist, and critic. His work is characterised by lucid prose, social criticism, opposition to totalitar ...
lived on Jura intermittently from 1946 to 1949, and completed his novel ''
Nineteen Eighty-Four ''Nineteen Eighty-Four'' (also stylised as ''1984'') is a dystopian social science fiction novel and cautionary tale written by the English writer George Orwell. It was published on 8 June 1949 by Secker & Warburg as Orwell's ninth and final ...
'' while living at a remote farmhouse. Between Jura's northern tip and the island of
Scarba Scarba ( gd, Sgarba) is an island, in Argyll and Bute, Scotland, just north of the much larger island of Jura. The island was owned by Richard Hill, 7th Baron Sandys, and has not been permanently inhabited since the 1960s. It is now covered in ...
lies the
Gulf of Corryvreckan The Gulf of Corryvreckan (from the Gaelic ''Coire Bhreacain'', meaning 'cauldron of the speckled seas' or 'cauldron of the plaid'), also called the Strait of Corryvreckan, is a narrow strait between the islands of Jura and Scarba, in Argyll and ...
, where a
whirlpool A whirlpool is a body of rotating water produced by opposing currents or a current running into an obstacle. Small whirlpools form when a bath or a sink is draining. More powerful ones formed in seas or oceans may be called maelstroms ( ). ''Vo ...
makes passage dangerous at certain states of the tide. The southern part of the island, from Loch Tarbert southwards, is designated a national scenic area (NSA), one of 40 such areas in Scotland. The Jura NSA covers : 21,072 of land and 9,245 of adjacent sea.


Name

The modern name ''Jura'' dates from the Norse-Gael era. Two different
Old Norse Old Norse, Old Nordic, or Old Scandinavian, is a stage of development of North Germanic languages, North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and t ...
words have been suggested: * meaning 'deer island' is the generally accepted derivation. * , meaning 'udder island', in reference to the
Paps of Jura The Paps of Jura ( gd, Sgurr na Cìche) are three mountains on the western side of the island of Jura, Scotland, Jura, in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. Their highest point is . They are steep-sided quartzite hills with distinctive conical sh ...
. The name was recorded in 678 as , possibly meaning "Doraid's Island".


Settlements


OS settlements

Places classified as settlements by the Ordnance Survey include: * Ardfernal *
Ardmenish Ardmenish ( gd, Àird Mhèanais) is a largely cleared village on the island of Jura, in Argyll and Bute Argyll and Bute ( sco, Argyll an Buit; gd, Earra-Ghàidheal agus Bòd, ) is one of 32 unitary authority council areas in Scotland and ...
*
Craighouse Craighouse ( gd, Taigh na Creige) is the main settlement and capital of the Scottish Inner Hebridean island of Jura, in Argyll and Bute. In 1971 it had a population of 113. The village is situated on the sheltered east coast of the island at t ...
*
Inverlussa Inverlussa is a hamlet southwest of Ardlussa and 14 miles from Craighouse at the mouth of Lussa River on the east coast of the island of Jura, in the council area of Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It is largely a linear settlement A linear settle ...
*
Keils Keils formerly Kilearnadill is a hamlet from Craighouse on the island of Jura, in the council area of Argyll and Bute, Scotland. Keils is located on a wide elevated but distinct ridge. History The name "Keils" means "Cell". Landmarks On the ...
*
Kinuachdrachd Kinuachdrachd or Kinuachdrach is a place about 22 miles from Craighouse on the island of Jura, in the council area of Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It comprises a house west of the Aird of Kinuachdrachd. On the 1982 OS 1:10000 map there were 4 buil ...
* Knockrome * Lagg * Leargybreck *
Tarbert Tarbert ( gd, An Tairbeart) is a place name in Scotland and Ireland. Places named Tarbert are characterised by a narrow strip of land, or isthmus. This can be where two lochs nearly meet, or a causeway out to an island. Etymology All placenames ...


Not OS settlements

These places are not classified as settlements by the Ordnance Survey but are shown on the A-Z Great Britain Road atlas 2022 *
Ardfin Ardfin is a country estate on the island of Jura, Inner Hebrides, Scotland. It is situated at the southern tip of the island, between Feolin and Craighouse. It includes Jura House which is a Category C listed building. The old house was extende ...
*
Ardlussa Ardlussa is a hamlet and estate on The Long Road, just north of the Lussa River, overlooking Ardlussa Bay on the east coast of the island of Jura, in the council area of Argyll and Bute, Scotland. Estate buildings line the road, and the area fe ...
* Cabrach *
Feolin Ferry Feolin (also known as Feolin Ferry) is a slipway on the west coast of Jura. provides a vehicle and passenger ferry service from Port Askaig on Islay across the Sound of Islay The Sound of Islay ( gd, Caol Ìle) is a narrow strait between th ...
* Lealt * Lussagiven


Geology

Jura is composed largely of
Dalradian The Dalradian Supergroup (informally and traditionally the Dalradian) is a stratigraphic unit (a sequence of rock strata) in the lithostratigraphy of the Grampian Highlands of Scotland and in the north and west of Ireland. The diverse assembla ...
quartzite Quartzite is a hard, non- foliated metamorphic rock which was originally pure quartz sandstone.Essentials of Geology, 3rd Edition, Stephen Marshak, p 182 Sandstone is converted into quartzite through heating and pressure usually related to tect ...
, a hard
metamorphic rock Metamorphic rocks arise from the transformation of existing rock to new types of rock in a process called metamorphism. The original rock (protolith) is subjected to temperatures greater than and, often, elevated pressure of or more, causin ...
that provides the jagged surface of the Paps. On the western half of the island the quartzite has been penetrated by a number of linear
basalt Basalt (; ) is an aphanite, aphanitic (fine-grained) extrusive igneous rock formed from the rapid cooling of low-viscosity lava rich in magnesium and iron (mafic lava) exposed at or very near the planetary surface, surface of a terrestrial ...
dykes that were formed during a period of intense volcanic activity in the early
Palaeogene The Paleogene ( ; also spelled Palaeogene or Palæogene; informally Lower Tertiary or Early Tertiary) is a geologic period and system that spans 43 million years from the end of the Cretaceous Period million years ago ( Mya) to the beginning o ...
period, 56 million years ago. The dykes are most apparent on the west coast, where erosion of the less-resistant rock into which they are intruded has left them exposed as natural walls. The west coast also has a number of
raised beach A raised beach, coastal terrace,Pinter, N (2010): 'Coastal Terraces, Sealevel, and Active Tectonics' (educational exercise), from 2/04/2011/ref> or perched coastline is a relatively flat, horizontal or gently inclined surface of marine origin,P ...
es, which are regarded as a geological feature of international importance.


Paps of Jura

The island is dominated by three steep-sided conical
quartzite Quartzite is a hard, non- foliated metamorphic rock which was originally pure quartz sandstone.Essentials of Geology, 3rd Edition, Stephen Marshak, p 182 Sandstone is converted into quartzite through heating and pressure usually related to tect ...
mountain A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited Summit (topography), summit area, and ...
s on its western side, the Paps of Jura, which rise to . The term "pap" is often used for a breast-shaped hill. There are three major peaks: * (Gaelic: 'mountain of gold') is the highest, standing at , and is thereby a
Corbett Corbett may refer to: * List of Corbetts (mountains), 222 mountains in Scotland between , with prominence over * Corbett, Oregon, a community in the United States * Corbett Award, US award for athletics administrators * Corbett (surname), people w ...
. * (Gaelic: 'holy mountain') stands at high. * (Gaelic: 'mountain of the
kyle Kyle or Kyles may refer to: Places Canada * Kyle, Saskatchewan, Canada Ireland * Kyle, County Laois * Kyle, County Wexford Scotland * Kyle, Ayrshire, area of Scotland which stretched across parts of modern-day East Ayrshire and South Ayrshir ...
') is the lowest of the Paps, reaching .Haswell-Smith (2004) p. 50 The Paps dominate the landscape in the region and are visible from the
Mull of Kintyre The Mull of Kintyre is the southwesternmost tip of the Kintyre Peninsula (formerly ''Cantyre'') in southwest Scotland. From here, the Antrim coast of Northern Ireland is visible on a calm and clear day, and a historic lighthouse, the second ...
and, on a clear day, from the
Isle of Skye The Isle of Skye, or simply Skye (; gd, An t-Eilean Sgitheanach or ; sco, Isle o Skye), is the largest and northernmost of the major islands in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. The island's peninsulas radiate from a mountainous hub dominated ...
and
Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...
. The route of the annual
Isle of Jura Fell Race The Isle of Jura Fell Race is an annual fell race held in May, starting and finishing at Craighouse on the Scottish island of Jura. The course loops west and north over several hills including the Paps of Jura. After the last climb to Corra Bhein ...
includes all three Paps and four other hills. These hills were the subject of
William McTaggart William McTaggart (25 October 1835 – 2 April 1910) was a Scottish landscape and marine painter who was influenced by Impressionism. Life and work The son of a crofter, William McTaggart was born in the small village of Aros, near C ...
's 1902 painting ''The Paps of Jura'', displayed in the
Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum is a museum and art gallery in Glasgow, Scotland. It reopened in 2006 after a three-year refurbishment and since then has been one of Scotland's most popular visitor attractions. The museum has 22 galleries, h ...
.


History


Early years

Evidence of settlements on Jura dating from the
Mesolithic The Mesolithic (Greek: μέσος, ''mesos'' 'middle' + λίθος, ''lithos'' 'stone') or Middle Stone Age is the Old World archaeological period between the Upper Paleolithic and the Neolithic. The term Epipaleolithic is often used synonymous ...
period was first uncovered by the English
archaeologist Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscap ...
John Mercer in the 1960s. There is a
Neolithic The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several parts ...
chambered cairn at Poll a' Cheo in the southwest of the island. Jura is closer to Ireland's northern province of
Ulster Ulster (; ga, Ulaidh or ''Cúige Uladh'' ; sco, label= Ulster Scots, Ulstèr or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional Irish provinces. It is made up of nine counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United King ...
than it is to
Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...
, so it should not be unexpected that Irish people crossed the
Straits of Moyle The North Channel (known in Irish and Scottish Gaelic as , in Scots as the ) is the strait between north-eastern Northern Ireland and south-western Scotland. It begins north of the Isle of Man, where the Irish Sea ends, and runs north-west in ...
and established the
Gaelic Gaelic is an adjective that means "pertaining to the Gaels". As a noun it refers to the group of languages spoken by the Gaels, or to any one of the languages individually. Gaelic languages are spoken in Ireland, Scotland, the Isle of Man, and Ca ...
kingdom of
Dál Riata Dál Riata or Dál Riada (also Dalriada) () was a Gaelic kingdom that encompassed the western seaboard of Scotland and north-eastern Ireland, on each side of the North Channel. At its height in the 6th and 7th centuries, it covered what is now ...
. It was divided into a handful of regions, controlled by particular kin groups, of which the
Cenél nÓengusa The Cenél nÓengusa were a kin group who ruled the island of Islay, and perhaps nearby Colonsay, off the western coast of Scotland in the early Middle Ages. The Senchus fer n-Alban, a census and genealogy of the kingdom of Dál Riata, lists the ...
controlled Jura and Islay. The kingdom thrived for a few centuries, and formed a springboard for
Christianisation Christianization (American and British English spelling differences#-ise.2C -ize .28-isation.2C -ization.29, or Christianisation) is to make Christian; to imbue with Christian principles; to become Christian. It can apply to the conversion of ...
of the mainland. It is believed that Jura may have been
Hinba Hinba is an island in Scotland of uncertain location that was the site of a small monastery associated with the Columban church on Iona. Although a number of details are known about the monastery and its early superiors, and various anecdotes da ...
, the island to which the 6th-century missionary,
Columba Columba or Colmcille; gd, Calum Cille; gv, Colum Keeilley; non, Kolban or at least partly reinterpreted as (7 December 521 – 9 June 597 AD) was an Irish abbot and missionary evangelist credited with spreading Christianity in what is toda ...
, retreated from the monastic community he founded on
Iona Iona (; gd, Ì Chaluim Chille (IPA: iːˈxaɫ̪ɯimˈçiʎə, sometimes simply ''Ì''; sco, Iona) is a small island in the Inner Hebrides, off the Ross of Mull on the western coast of Scotland. It is mainly known for Iona Abbey, though there ...
, when he wished for a more contemplative life.


Vikings

Dál Riata was ultimately destroyed when Vikings invaded, and established their own domain, spreading more extensively over the islands north and west of the mainland, including Jura. This became the
Kingdom of the Isles The Kingdom of the Isles consisted of the Isle of Man, the Hebrides and the islands of the Firth of Clyde from the 9th to the 13th centuries AD. The islands were known to the Norse as the , or "Southern Isles" as distinct from the or Nort ...
, but following the unification of
Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...
, the islands were under tenuous Norwegian authority, somewhat resisted by local rulers, like
Godred Crovan Godred Crovan (died 1095), known in Gaelic as Gofraid Crobán, Gofraid Meránach, and Gofraid Méránach, was a Norse-Gaelic ruler of the kingdoms of Dublin and the Isles. Although his precise parentage has not completely been proven, he was c ...
. Following Godred's death, the local population resisted Norway's choice of replacement, causing Magnus, the Norwegian king, to launch a military campaign to assert his authority. In 1098, under pressure from Magnus, the king of Scotland
quitclaim Generally, a quitclaim is a formal renunciation of a legal claim against some other person, or of a right to land. A person who quitclaims renounces or relinquishes a claim to some legal right, or transfers a legal interest in land. Originally a c ...
ed to him all sovereign authority over the isles. To Norway, the islands became known as ''Suðreyjar'' (Old Norse, traditionally anglicised as ''Sodor''), meaning ''southern isles''. The former territory of Dal Riata acquired the geographic description ''Argyle'' (now ''Argyll''): the ''Gaelic coast''. Half a century later, however,
Somerled Somerled (died 1164), known in Middle Irish as Somairle, Somhairle, and Somhairlidh, and in Old Norse as Sumarliði , was a mid-12th-century Norse-Gaelic lord who, through marital alliance and military conquest, rose in prominence to create the ...
, the husband of Godred Crovan's granddaughter, led a successful revolt against Norway, transforming Suðreyjar into an independent kingdom. Somerled built the sea fortress of
Claig Castle Claig Castle was a stronghold of the Clan Donald or MacDonald in the south of Scotland. History The castle was once a massive fort described as a ''sea fortress'', which allowed the Macdonald Lord of the Isles to dominate and control the sea t ...
on an island at the southern tip of Jura, establishing control of the Sound of Islay; on account of the Corryvreckan whirlpool, this essentially gave him control of the sea traffic between the Scottish mainland and the Hebrides. After his death, nominal Norwegian authority was re-established, but de facto authority was split between Somerled's sons and the
Crovan dynasty The Crovan dynasty, from the late 11th century to the mid 13th century, was the ruling family of an insular kingdom known variously in secondary sources as the Kingdom of Mann, the Kingdom of the Isles, and the Kingdom of Mann and the Isles. The ...
. Somerled's son Dougall received the part of Jura north of Loch Tarbert (along with adjacent islands further north), while Dougal's nephew
Donald Donald is a masculine given name derived from the Gaelic name ''Dòmhnall''.. This comes from the Proto-Celtic *''Dumno-ualos'' ("world-ruler" or "world-wielder"). The final -''d'' in ''Donald'' is partly derived from a misinterpretation of the ...
received the rest of Jura, as well as Islay, and lands to the east. It is unclear why Jura was split like this, but it may have been connected to a dispute with Donald's other uncle,
Angus Angus may refer to: Media * ''Angus'' (film), a 1995 film * ''Angus Og'' (comics), in the ''Daily Record'' Places Australia * Angus, New South Wales Canada * Angus, Ontario, a community in Essa, Ontario * East Angus, Quebec Scotland * An ...
, who Donald and his brother had ultimately dispossessed. In the mid 13th century, increased tension between Norway and Scotland led to a series of Battles, culminating in the
Battle of Largs The Battle of Largs (2 October 1263) was a battle between the kingdoms of Norway and Scotland, on the Firth of Clyde near Largs, Scotland. Through it, Scotland achieved the end of 500 years of Norse Viking depredations and invasions despite bei ...
, shortly after which the Norwegian king died. In 1266, his more peaceable successor ceded his nominal authority over Suðreyjar to the Scottish king ( Alexander III) by the
Treaty of Perth The Treaty of Perth, signed 2 July 1266, ended military conflict between Magnus VI of Norway and Alexander III of Scotland over possession of the Hebrides and the Isle of Man. The text of the treaty. The Hebrides and the Isle of Man had become ...
, in return for a very large sum of money. Alexander generally acknowledged the semi-independent authority of Somerled's heirs.


Lords of the Isles

At the end of the 13th century, king
John Balliol John Balliol ( – late 1314), known derisively as ''Toom Tabard'' (meaning "empty coat" – coat of arms), was King of Scots from 1292 to 1296. Little is known of his early life. After the death of Margaret, Maid of Norway, Scotland entered an ...
was challenged for the throne by Robert de Bruys. By this point, Somerled's descendants had formed into three families: the heirs of Dougall (the MacDougalls), those of Donald (the MacDonalds), and those of Donald's brother (the MacRory); the MacDougalls took John's side, while the MacDonalds and MacRory backed de Bruys. When de Bruys defeated John, he declared the MacDougall lands forfeit, and gave them to the MacDonalds. John of Islay, the head of the MacDonald family married the heir of the MacRory family, thereby acquiring the remaining share of Somerled's realm, and transforming it into the
Lordship of the Isles The Lord of the Isles or King of the Isles ( gd, Triath nan Eilean or ) is a title of Scottish nobility with historical roots that go back beyond the Kingdom of Scotland. It began with Somerled in the 12th century and thereafter the title ...
, which lasted for over a century. Throughout all this time, the descendants of the Cenél nÓengusa had retained their identity; they were now the MacInnes (not to be confused with similarly named groups elsewhere in Scotland). Though the MacDougalls had had authority over part of Jura, the MacInnes had been left in unmolested possession of the land, as vassals. Now, however, with the MacDonalds in charge of the entire island, the situation changed. The head of the MacDonalds was unhappy to have tenants who had supported John Balliol and the MacDougalls, so, in 1358, he asked the chief of the
MacLean MacLean, also spelt Maclean and McLean, is a Gaelic surname Mac Gille Eathain, or, Mac Giolla Eóin in Irish Gaelic), Eóin being a Gaelic form of Johannes (John). The clan surname is an Anglicisation of the Scottish Gaelic "Mac Gille Eathai ...
family to assassinate the MacInnes' leaders; so thorough was this carried out that to this day the MacInnes have had no-one to become their new chief, and consequently they dispersed throughout Scotland. In 1390, the head of the MacDonald family - the Lord of the Isles - granted the MacLeans the lands of northern Jura (the lands which had belonged to the MacInnes). The MacLeans established a castle in Glen Garrisdale, as a stronghold, which they named Aros Castle, like one of their castles elsewhere. Towards the end of the 15th century, the Lords of the Isles made increasing efforts to establish full independence. John MacDonald, the then Lord, launched a severe
raid on Ross The Raid on Ross was a conflict that took place in 1491 in the Scottish Highlands. It was fought between the Clan Mackenzie and several other clans, including the Clan MacDonald of Lochalsh, Clan MacDonald of Clanranald, the Clan Cameron, an ...
, in pursuance of this aim. Within 2 years of the raid, in 1493, the Lordship of the Isles was declared forfeit, and his realm became part of Scotland, rather than a dependency of the Scottish crown. John was exiled from his former lands, and his former subjects now considered themselves to have no superior except the king. A charter was soon sent from the Scottish King confirming this state of affairs; the charter declares that Skye and the Outer Hebrides are to be considered independent from the rest of the former Lordship, leaving only Islay and Jura remaining.


Campbells

Initially, the MacDonalds of Dunnyveg remained landlords of the southern part of Jura. Following John MacDonald's death, his grandson and heir,
Black Donald Black Donald (Scottish Gaelic: ''Domhnall Dubh'' or ''Domnuill-dhu'') is a Highland colloquialism for the Devil in Scottish mythology. The defining characteristic of Black Donald is his cloven feet, which betray whatever disguise he assumes. In h ...
, was being kept a prisoner at Innes Chonnel Castle (a stronghold of the Campbells). In 1501, Donald escaped, triggering an insurrection in his favour in parts of the former Lordship of the Isles. When Donald was recaptured, in 1506, the king took the precaution of transferring the property of the MacDonald family to the Campbells; in Jura, the Campbells of Craignish were the beneficiaries. The Campbells established a base for themselves at Ardfin, at the south of Jura, to replace the nearby MacDonald stronghold of Claig Castle. After a century of intermittent violence between the families, in 1607 the Campbells purchased from the MacDonalds a quitclaim of any rights the latter might have on Jura. Following the
Scottish reformation The Scottish Reformation was the process by which Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland broke with the Pope, Papacy and developed a predominantly Calvinist national Church of Scotland, Kirk (church), which was strongly Presbyterianism, Presbyterian in ...
, the MacLeans (opponents) and Campbells (supporters) came into dispute; to a certain extent, the Campbells also saw it as an opportunity for territorial expansion. Having complained for several years about harassment from the MacLeans, in 1647 the Campbells launched a surprise attack on Aros Castle, and killed many MacLeans; for many years in the 20th century, a human skull stood on a ledge in a nearby cave, and it was traditionally said to have been the remains of a Maclean who had been killed in this battle. The skull is no longer there, but the latest editions of
Ordnance Survey , nativename_a = , nativename_r = , logo = Ordnance Survey 2015 Logo.svg , logo_width = 240px , logo_caption = , seal = , seal_width = , seal_caption = , picture = , picture_width = , picture_caption = , formed = , preceding1 = , di ...
maps still mark the location as 'Maclean's Skull Cave'.Ordnance Survey ''Landranger'' 1:50000, Sheet 61 (Jura and Colonsay). The north of the island, however, remained in
MacLean MacLean, also spelt Maclean and McLean, is a Gaelic surname Mac Gille Eathain, or, Mac Giolla Eóin in Irish Gaelic), Eóin being a Gaelic form of Johannes (John). The clan surname is an Anglicisation of the Scottish Gaelic "Mac Gille Eathai ...
hands until 1737, when it was sold to Donald MacNeil of Colonsay. The remainder of the island was ruled and largely owned by the Campbells for a total of three centuries, by 11 successive Campbell lairds. Under Campbell influence, shrieval authority was established under the
sheriff of Argyll The Sheriff of Argyll was historically a royal officer charged with enforcing the king's rights in Argyll; in Scotland, the concept of ''sheriff'' gradually evolved into a judicial position. Originally, the region of Argyll was served by the sheri ...
. With inherited Campbell control of the sheriffdom, comital authority was superfluous, and the provincial identity (medieval Latin:''provincia'') of Islay-Jura faded away. In the mid 18th century, The
Heritable Jurisdictions Act The Heritable Jurisdictions (Scotland) Act 1746 (20 Geo. II c. 43) was an Act of Parliament passed in the aftermath of the Jacobite rising of 1745 abolishing judicial rights (Scotland), judicial rights held by Scots heritors. These were a signific ...
abolished both, leaving only the shrieval unit, and without Campbell control. According to a local legend, in the early 1700s, the Campbells of Jura evicted a man who prophesied that the last Campbell to leave the island would be one-eyed with his belongings carried in a cart drawn by a lone white horse. In 1938 Charles Campbell, blind in one eye from a war injury, fell on hard times and led his white horse to the old pier for the last time.


Emigration

Beginning in the later 18th century, long before the notorious
Highland Clearances The Highland Clearances ( gd, Fuadaichean nan Gàidheal , the "eviction of the Gaels") were the evictions of a significant number of tenants in the Scottish Highlands and Islands, mostly in two phases from 1750 to 1860. The first phase resulte ...
of the following century, there were several waves of emigration from Jura. In 1767, fifty people left for
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
, and from then the population fluctuated, rising to a peak of 1,312 in 1831, before gradually shrinking to its 20th century level of just a few hundred. Mercer notes that although relatively few forced clearances on Jura were recorded, the emigrations were due to factors such as hunger and spiralling rents.


Recent history

Census records show that Jura's population peaked at 1,312 in 1831, and that, in common with many areas of western Scotland, the island's population declined steadily over the ensuing decades. However, there has been a small increase since 2001. During the decade from 2001 to 2011
Scottish island This is a list of islands of Scotland, the mainland of which is part of the island of Great Britain. Also included are various other related tables and lists. The definition of an offshore island used in this list is "land that is surrounded by ...
populations as a whole grew by 4% to 103,702. Alongside the long-term decline in Jura's population has been a decline in the number of
Gaelic Gaelic is an adjective that means "pertaining to the Gaels". As a noun it refers to the group of languages spoken by the Gaels, or to any one of the languages individually. Gaelic languages are spoken in Ireland, Scotland, the Isle of Man, and Ca ...
speakers. The 1881 census reported that 86.6% of 946 inhabitants spoke Gaelic. In 1961, for the first time less than half (46.9%) spoke the language and by 2001, this figure had dropped to 10.6%. In 1838, the old Campbell mansion at Ardfin was remodelled and extended by the architect
William Burn William Burn (20 December 1789 – 15 February 1870) was a Scottish architect. He received major commissions from the age of 20 until his death at 81. He built in many styles and was a pioneer of the Scottish Baronial Revival,often referred t ...
for the laird Colin Campbell and renamed Jura House. During the first half of the 20th century, the Campbells gradually sold the island as a number of separate estates, beginning with the disposal in 1920 of the northern two-thirds of the island, from the
Paps of Jura The Paps of Jura ( gd, Sgurr na Cìche) are three mountains on the western side of the island of Jura, Scotland, Jura, in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. Their highest point is . They are steep-sided quartzite hills with distinctive conical sh ...
and the Corran River all the way to the Corryvreckan. The purchaser was the American-born English politician
Waldorf Astor Waldorf Astor, 2nd Viscount Astor, DL (19 May 1879 – 30 September 1952) was an American-born English politician and newspaper proprietor. He was a member of the Astor family. He was active in minor political roles. He was devoted to charitab ...
, whose wife
Nancy Astor Nancy Witcher Langhorne Astor, Viscountess Astor, (19 May 1879 – 2 May 1964) was an American-born British politician who was the first woman seated as a Member of Parliament (MP), serving from 1919 to 1945. Astor's first husband was America ...
had recently become the first female MP to sit in the
House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. ...
. The most southerly part of that acquisition, the Tarbert Estate, remains in the hands of the Astor family to this day, and in recent years the latest generation of Astors have restored the remote Glenbatrick Lodge, which stands on Jura's uninhabited west coast, on the shore of Loch Tarbert. The connection between the Campbell family of landowners and lairds and Jura ended in 1938 with the sale of Jura House and its surrounding land,
Ardfin Estate Ardfin is a country estate on the island of Jura, Inner Hebrides, Scotland. It is situated at the southern tip of the island, between Feolin and Craighouse. It includes Jura House which is a Category C listed building. The old house was extended ...
.


George Orwell on Jura

In his later life,
George Orwell Eric Arthur Blair (25 June 1903 – 21 January 1950), better known by his pen name George Orwell, was an English novelist, essayist, journalist, and critic. His work is characterised by lucid prose, social criticism, opposition to totalitar ...
moved to Barnhill, on Jura, living there intermittently from 1946. During that time he was critically ill with
tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, in ...
. Orwell left Jura in January 1949 to get treatment at a sanatorium in Gloucestershire and never returned to the island. He was known to the residents of Jura by his real name, Eric Blair. He completed ''
Nineteen Eighty-Four ''Nineteen Eighty-Four'' (also stylised as ''1984'') is a dystopian social science fiction novel and cautionary tale written by the English writer George Orwell. It was published on 8 June 1949 by Secker & Warburg as Orwell's ninth and final ...
'' at Barnhill during 1947–48; he sent the final typescript to his publishers,
Secker and Warburg Harvill Secker is a British publishing company formed in 2005 from the merger of Secker & Warburg and the Harvill Press. History Secker & Warburg Secker & Warburg was formed in 1935 from a takeover of Martin Secker, which was in receivership, ...
, on 4 December 1948, and they published the book on 8 June 1949. Despite its isolation, Barnhill has in recent years become something of a shrine for his readers. During his time on Jura, Orwell and his adopted son, a niece and a nephew, nearly lost their lives at the Corryvreckan. He was attempting to navigate the Gulf when the outboard motor fell off the boat. The nephew rowed them to Eilean Mòr, where the boat overturned as they were disembarking; the group was rescued by the crew of a lobster boat. Still owned by the Fletcher family who had rented it to Orwell, the four bedroom Barnhill house is available for rent but is somewhat primitive for this era. A generator supplies electricity, the small refrigerator is gas-powered and heat is provided by a coal-fired Rayburn. The original look and feel of the house has been retained. "If you stay here, you're really treading in Orwell's footsteps. He would recognise the place instantly if he were to step through the door today," Orwell Society member Damaris Fletcher told ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
''.


Government and politics

In 1899, counties were formally created, on shrieval boundaries, by a Scottish Local Government Act, under which Jura became part of the
County of Argyll Argyll (; archaically Argyle, in modern Gaelic, ), sometimes called Argyllshire, is a historic county and registration county of western Scotland. Argyll is of ancient origin, and corresponds to most of the part of the ancient kingdom of ...
. In 1975 the counties were replaced by a two-tier system of regions and districts: Jura formed part of the
Argyll and Bute Argyll and Bute ( sco, Argyll an Buit; gd, Earra-Ghàidheal agus Bòd, ) is one of 32 unitary authority council areas in Scotland and a lieutenancy area. The current lord-lieutenant for Argyll and Bute is Jane Margaret MacLeod (14 July 2020) ...
district within the wider
Strathclyde Strathclyde ( in Gaelic, meaning "strath (valley) of the River Clyde") was one of nine former local government regions of Scotland created in 1975 by the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 and abolished in 1996 by the Local Government et ...
region, however the County of Argyll continues in use as a
registration county A registration county was, in Great Britain and Ireland, a statistical unit used for the registration of births, deaths and marriages and for the output of census information. In Scotland registration counties are used for land registration purpose ...
. A further re-organisation took place in 1995, and Jura now forms part of the unitary
council area {{Unreferenced, date=May 2019, bot=noref (GreenC bot) A council area is one of the areas defined in Schedule 1 of the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994 and is under the control of one of the local authorities in Scotland created by that Act. ...
of
Argyll and Bute Argyll and Bute ( sco, Argyll an Buit; gd, Earra-Ghàidheal agus Bòd, ) is one of 32 unitary authority council areas in Scotland and a lieutenancy area. The current lord-lieutenant for Argyll and Bute is Jane Margaret MacLeod (14 July 2020) ...
. The island also has a
community council A community council is a public representative body in Great Britain. In England they may be statutory parish councils by another name, under the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007, or they may be non-statutory bodies. In ...
, which is responsible primarily for representing the views of the local community in dealings with other public bodies, although it can also undertake other activities such as fundraising for local projects and the running of community events. In the
Scottish Parliament The Scottish Parliament ( gd, Pàrlamaid na h-Alba ; sco, Scots Pairlament) is the devolved, unicameral legislature of Scotland. Located in the Holyrood area of the capital city, Edinburgh, it is frequently referred to by the metonym Holyro ...
Jura forms part of the constituency of
Argyll and Bute Argyll and Bute ( sco, Argyll an Buit; gd, Earra-Ghàidheal agus Bòd, ) is one of 32 unitary authority council areas in Scotland and a lieutenancy area. The current lord-lieutenant for Argyll and Bute is Jane Margaret MacLeod (14 July 2020) ...
, which elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) by the
first past the post In a first-past-the-post electoral system (FPTP or FPP), formally called single-member plurality voting (SMP) when used in single-member districts or informally choose-one voting in contrast to ranked voting, or score voting, voters cast their ...
method of election. It is also one of eight constituencies in the
Highlands and Islands The Highlands and Islands is an area of Scotland broadly covering the Scottish Highlands, plus Orkney, Shetland and Outer Hebrides (Western Isles). The Highlands and Islands are sometimes defined as the area to which the Crofters' Act of 1886 ...
electoral region, which elects seven additional members, in addition to the eight constituency MSPs, to produce a form of
proportional representation Proportional representation (PR) refers to a type of electoral system under which subgroups of an electorate are reflected proportionately in the elected body. The concept applies mainly to geographical (e.g. states, regions) and political divis ...
for the region as a whole. The current MSP for Argyll and Bute is
Jenni Minto Jennifer Margot Minto (born 1968) is a Scottish National Party (SNP) politician who has been the Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Argyll and Bute since 2021. She had been elected as her party's candidate for the election by local SNP ...
of the
Scottish National Party The Scottish National Party (SNP; sco, Scots National Pairty, gd, Pàrtaidh Nàiseanta na h-Alba ) is a Scottish nationalist and social democratic political party in Scotland. The SNP supports and campaigns for Scottish independence from ...
(SNP), who was elected in 2021, taking over from her party colleague Michael Russell. At
Westminster Westminster is an area of Central London, part of the wider City of Westminster. The area, which extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street, has many visitor attractions and historic landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, Bu ...
, Jura is represented as part of a constituency also called
Argyll and Bute Argyll and Bute ( sco, Argyll an Buit; gd, Earra-Ghàidheal agus Bòd, ) is one of 32 unitary authority council areas in Scotland and a lieutenancy area. The current lord-lieutenant for Argyll and Bute is Jane Margaret MacLeod (14 July 2020) ...
, which is held by
Brendan O'Hara Brendan O'Hara (born 27 April 1963) is a Scottish National Party (SNP) politician. He was elected Member of Parliament (MP) for the constituency of Argyll and Bute in 2015. He has been the SNP Spokesperson for International Development since ...
, also of the SNP.


Modern ownership

There are now seven estates on Jura and a whisky distillery, all in separate ownership. *
Ardfin Ardfin is a country estate on the island of Jura, Inner Hebrides, Scotland. It is situated at the southern tip of the island, between Feolin and Craighouse. It includes Jura House which is a Category C listed building. The old house was extende ...
: situated at the southern tip of the island, between Feolin and
Craighouse Craighouse ( gd, Taigh na Creige) is the main settlement and capital of the Scottish Inner Hebridean island of Jura, in Argyll and Bute. In 1971 it had a population of 113. The village is situated on the sheltered east coast of the island at t ...
. For some 70 years from 1938, Ardfin belonged to the Riley-Smith family, brewers from
Tadcaster Tadcaster is a market town and civil parish in the Selby district of North Yorkshire, England, east of the Great North Road, north-east of Leeds, and south-west of York. Its historical importance from Roman times onward was largely as the ...
in
Yorkshire Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a Historic counties of England, historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other Eng ...
. In 2010 the estate was bought by
Greg Coffey Greg Coffey is an Australian hedge fund manager based in London. Nicknamed "The Wizard of Oz" during his time at GLG Partners and Moore Capital Management, in 2012 he declared retirement at the age of 41 and returned to Sydney. In early 2018, C ...
, an Australian
hedge fund A hedge fund is a pooled investment fund that trades in relatively liquid assets and is able to make extensive use of more complex trading, portfolio-construction, and risk management techniques in an attempt to improve performance, such as sho ...
manager, and since 2011 its ownership has been with Ardfin Lodge Ltd of
Jersey Jersey ( , ; nrf, Jèrri, label=Jèrriais ), officially the Bailiwick of Jersey (french: Bailliage de Jersey, links=no; Jèrriais: ), is an island country and self-governing Crown Dependencies, Crown Dependency near the coast of north-west F ...
. The famous walled garden of
Jura House Jura may refer to: Places *Jura, Scotland, island of the Inner Hebrides off Great Britain *Jūra, river in Lithuania Mountain ranges * Jura Mountains, on the French–Swiss–German border *Franconian Jura, south-central Germany * Swabian Jura, ...
, which had previously been a noted horticultural asset and popular tourist attraction, was permanently closed to the public. Having also wound up the estate's farm, Greg Coffey then submitted proposals for the construction of a private 18-hole golf course on the estate. The original Jura House was extended and modernised, and the former farm buildings were converted into an elite luxury hotel for the use of visiting golfers. The course was completed in 2018 and opened in 2019. The hotel was due to open at Easter 2020 but the opening has been delayed. *Inver: lying North of Ardfin, on the west flanks of the Paps of Jura, and belonging to Sir William Lithgow, Vice-Chairman of the
Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...
shipbuilding group
Lithgows Lithgows Limited is a family-owned Scottish company that had a long involvement in shipbuilding, based in Kingston, Port Glasgow, on the River Clyde in Scotland. It has a continued involvement in marine resources. History Founding The Company ...
. *Jura Forest: also lying north of Ardfin, but on the east flanks of the Paps of Jura. Forest Estate belongs to the Vestey family,, which was headed until 2021 by Samuel, 3rd Baron Vestey, chairman of the food and farming business
Vestey Group Vestey Holdings, formerly Vestey Group and previously also known as Vestey Brothers, is a privately-owned UK group of companies comprising an international business focused mainly on food products and services. The company has owned vast holdin ...
Ltd, and a former
Master of the Horse Master of the Horse is an official position in several European nations. It was more common when most countries in Europe were monarchies, and is of varying prominence today. (Ancient Rome) The original Master of the Horse ( la, Magister Equitu ...
of the Royal Household. The owner is now his eldest son William Vestey, 4th Baron Vestey. *
Tarbert Tarbert ( gd, An Tairbeart) is a place name in Scotland and Ireland. Places named Tarbert are characterised by a narrow strip of land, or isthmus. This can be where two lochs nearly meet, or a causeway out to an island. Etymology All placenames ...
: North of the Corran River, and stretching as far as Loch Tarbert, the Tarbert Estate has been in the hands of the Astor family for over 100 years (see 'Recent History'). The present Lord Astor is
William Astor, 4th Viscount Astor William Waldorf Astor III, 4th Viscount Astor (born 27 December 1951) is an English businessman and politician who sits as a Conservative hereditary Lord Temporal in the House of Lords. He is a member of the Astor family, which is known for ...
, but the owner of the estate is listed as Altar Properties Ltd of the
British Virgin Islands ) , anthem = "God Save the King" , song_type = Territorial song , song = "Oh, Beautiful Virgin Islands" , image_map = File:British Virgin Islands on the globe (Americas centered).svg , map_caption = , mapsize = 290px , image_map2 = Brit ...
, whose beneficial owners are Viscount Astor's three children, Flora, Will and James. Former Prime Minister
David Cameron David William Donald Cameron (born 9 October 1966) is a British former politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2010 to 2016 and Leader of the Conservative Party from 2005 to 2016. He previously served as Leader o ...
has visited the estate on several occasions, as Lord Astor is the stepfather of his wife
Samantha Cameron Samantha Gwendoline Cameron (; born 18 April 1971) is an English businesswoman. Until 13 May 2010, she was the creative director of Smythson of Bond Street. Her husband, David Cameron, was the British prime minister from 2010 to 2016. She took ...
. *Ruantallain: immediately north of Loch Tarbert. Ruantallain had been a part of the Tarbert Estate, until its sale in 1984. It is owned by businessman Lindsay Bury, who is a former president of the influential wildlife charity
Flora and Fauna International Fauna & Flora International (FFI) is an international conservation charity and non-governmental organization dedicated to protecting the planet's threatened wildlife and habitats. Founded in 1903, it is the world's oldest international conserva ...
. *
Ardlussa Ardlussa is a hamlet and estate on The Long Road, just north of the Lussa River, overlooking Ardlussa Bay on the east coast of the island of Jura, in the council area of Argyll and Bute, Scotland. Estate buildings line the road, and the area fe ...
: north of Ruantallain. In 1926 the Ardlussa and Barnhill Estates were acquired from the
Astors The Astor family achieved prominence in business, society, and politics in the United States and the United Kingdom during the 19th and 20th centuries. With ancestral roots in the Italian Alps region of Italy by way of Germany, the Astors settled ...
by Walter Hargreaves-Brown. The present owner of Ardlussa is Andrew Fletcher, great-grandson of Hargreaves-Brown. Fletcher lives at Ardlussa House with his family – they are the only estate owners to be permanently resident on Jura. * Barnhill: at the northernmost tip of Jura, overlooking the famous Corryvreckan Whirlpool, George Orwell completed his novel ''
Nineteen Eighty-Four ''Nineteen Eighty-Four'' (also stylised as ''1984'') is a dystopian social science fiction novel and cautionary tale written by the English writer George Orwell. It was published on 8 June 1949 by Secker & Warburg as Orwell's ninth and final ...
'' while living here. Barnhill is also owned by a member of the Fletcher family.
Jura distillery Jura distillery is a Scotch whisky distillery on the island of Jura in the Inner Hebrides off the West Coast of Scotland. The distillery is owned by Glasgow founded and based Whyte and Mackay, which in turn is owned by Philippines-based Emp ...
was founded in 1810 but was not used after 1900 and was dismantled. In 1963, two estate owners, Robin Fletcher of
Ardlussa Ardlussa is a hamlet and estate on The Long Road, just north of the Lussa River, overlooking Ardlussa Bay on the east coast of the island of Jura, in the council area of Argyll and Bute, Scotland. Estate buildings line the road, and the area fe ...
and Tony Riley-Smith of
Ardfin Ardfin is a country estate on the island of Jura, Inner Hebrides, Scotland. It is situated at the southern tip of the island, between Feolin and Craighouse. It includes Jura House which is a Category C listed building. The old house was extende ...
, took over the old property and built a modern distillery; they expanded it in 1978. In 1985, Invergordon Distillers bought Mackinlays; later the two companies became part of
Whyte & Mackay Whyte & Mackay is a company producing alcoholic beverages based in Glasgow, Scotland. It is owned by Emperador Inc. (a subsidiary of the Alliance Global Group). History Charles Mackay (1850–1919) and James Whyte founded a company as whisky ...
. There is also a relatively small area owned by
Forestry and Land Scotland Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) ( gd, Coilltearachd agus Fearann Alba) is responsible for managing and promoting Scotland's national forest estate: land, predominantly covered in forest, owned by the Scottish Government on behalf of the nation. ...
.


Economy

In an economic survey published in 2005 by the now-defunct Feolin Study Centre on Jura, the gross turnover of the island was estimated to be just over £3.2 million. This figure covered production and services only, and took no account of public expenditure by government or local authority. In financial terms, the
Jura distillery Jura distillery is a Scotch whisky distillery on the island of Jura in the Inner Hebrides off the West Coast of Scotland. The distillery is owned by Glasgow founded and based Whyte and Mackay, which in turn is owned by Philippines-based Emp ...
was the largest, and it was also the biggest individual employer, but the island's seven estates, taken together, employed the most full- and part-time staff. The distillery is owned by Whyte and Mackay, which in 2014 was taken over by Emperador Distillers, part of the
Alliance Global Group Alliance Global Group, Inc., styled on its logo as AllianceGlobal and also known as Alliance Global, Inc. (AGI), is a large holding company with business activities spanning the food and beverage industry (including both production and restaurant ...
Inc of the Philippines. The estates provide
deer stalking Deer stalking, or simply stalking, is a British term for the stealthy pursuit of deer on foot with the intention of hunting for meat, for leisure/trophy, or to control their numbers. As part of wildlife management, just as with rabbiting an ...
and other
field sports Field sports are outdoor sports that take place in the wilderness or sparsely populated rural areas, where there are vast areas of uninhabited greenfields. The term specifically refer to activities that mandate sufficiently large open spaces and ...
, together with
forestry Forestry is the science and craft of creating, managing, planting, using, conserving and repairing forests, woodlands, and associated resources for human and environmental benefits. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands. Th ...
and a diminishing amount of
agriculture Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to ...
. In 2015 a new distillery was established in Ardlussa at the north of the island, producing Lussa Gin, and in 2021 the island's first rum distillery opened in Craighouse producing Deer Island Rum. Both are small batch, locally owned distilleries. While
tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring (disambiguation), touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tour (disambiguation), tours. Th ...
plays an important part in the island of economy n 2005 over 20% of the island population was directly or indirectly employed in the tourist industry its role was affected by the 2020-22 pandemic and remote working has encouraged more diverse work roles on the island including work in the digital and creative industries, despite a sub standard internet connection in many areas. In 2005 The
distillery Distillation, or classical distillation, is the process of separating the components or substances from a liquid mixture by using selective boiling and condensation, usually inside an apparatus known as a still. Dry distillation is the heati ...
,
field sports Field sports are outdoor sports that take place in the wilderness or sparsely populated rural areas, where there are vast areas of uninhabited greenfields. The term specifically refer to activities that mandate sufficiently large open spaces and ...
and Jura House Gardens were listed as the main tourist attractions, although the gardens have since been closed to the public. A new gin distillery and visitor centre at Ardlussa and a new rum distillery in Craighouse are now in operation and contribute to a growing number of businesses engaged in small scale food and drink production on Jura. Meanwhile, the landscape and wildlife continues to be among the island's significant attractions.
Conde Nast Traveller Conde may refer to: Places United States * Conde, South Dakota, a city France * Condé-sur-l'Escaut (or simply 'Condé'), a commune Linguistic ''Conde'' is the Ibero-Romance form of "count" (Latin ''comitatus''). It may refer to: * Count ...
suggested that visitors would appreciate the many red deer, "and the distinctive Paps of Jura rise above miles of blanket bog and freshwater lochans" as well as the "remote bays and bothies" or the boat trips to the Corryvreckan whirlpool. The
Rough Guides Rough Guides Ltd is a British travel guide book and reference publisher, which has been owned by APA Publications since November 2017. In addition to publishing guidebooks, the company also provides a tailor-made trips service based on custome ...
book adds that there is a hotel and some
bed and breakfast Bed and breakfast (typically shortened to B&B or BnB) is a small lodging establishment that offers overnight accommodation and breakfast. Bed and breakfasts are often private family homes and typically have between four and eleven rooms, wit ...
accommodation on the island, which is "an ideal place to go for peace and quiet and some great walking". Several of the island's landowners continue a more exclusive tourist offer, based around field sports on several of the estates, and the luxury hotel and golf courses at Ardfin. With two townships on Jura at Keils and Knockrome & Ardfarnal, modern diverse crofting plays an important role on the island, and while it doesn't economically sustain any households on its own, it has been a significant contributor to the rise in population, young families and new housing on the island. In 2013 Jura
Development Trust Development trusts are organisations operating in the United Kingdom that are: *community based, owned and led *engaged in the economic, environmental and social regeneration of a defined area or community *independent but seek to work in partners ...
secured financial support from the
Big Lottery Fund The National Lottery Community Fund, legally named the Big Lottery Fund, is a non-departmental public body responsible for distributing funds raised by the National Lottery for "good causes". Since 2004 it has awarded over £9 billion to ...
and other sources to purchase the island's only shop, which re-opened as a community-owned business in 2014. The trust is also exploring renewable energy options. In 2018 a new business hub opened in Craighouse consisting of four units adjacent to the community petrol pumps. These currently house three local businesses - a photography gallery, Deer Island rum distillery, and a craft shop - as well as the local bus garage. Since 2019 the Highlands and Islands Transport Partnership (HITRANS) have had an office in Craighouse which houses the Scottish Islands Passport project.


Transport

During the summer the island has a direct passenger ferry link between Craighouse on Jura and Tayvalllich on the Scottish mainland. This service is run by the community. Throughout the year the MV Eilean Dhiura runs a regular service between Feolin on Jura and Port Askaig on Islay, with frequent sailings from 7.30am to 6.30pm Mon-Sat and a reduced Sunday schedule. This service is run by Argyll and Bute Council. From Islay there are ferry connections to
Kennacraig Kennacraig () is a hamlet situated on West Loch Tarbert, a south west of Tarbert on the Kintyre peninsula, Argyll and Bute, in the west of Scotland. Ferry terminal Caledonian MacBrayne ferries sail from the terminal, on the rocky islet Eil ...
,
Colonsay Colonsay (; gd, Colbhasa; sco, Colonsay) is an island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland, located north of Islay and south of Mull. The ancestral home of Clan Macfie and the Colonsay branch of Clan MacNeil, it is in the council area of Argy ...
and
Oban Oban ( ; ' in Scottish Gaelic meaning ''The Little Bay'') is a resort town within the Argyll and Bute council area of Scotland. Despite its small size, it is the largest town between Helensburgh and Fort William. During the tourist season, th ...
(all operated by
Caledonian MacBrayne Caledonian MacBrayne ( gd, Caledonian Mac a' Bhriuthainn), usually shortened to CalMac, is the major operator of passenger and vehicle ferries, and ferry services, between the mainland of Scotland and 22 of the major islands on Scotland's west ...
) and a seasonal connection to Ballycastle in Northern Ireland (from Port Ellen). Flights from Islay airport also offer connections to
Glasgow Airport gd, Port-adhair Eadar-nàiseanta Ghlaschu , image = Glasgow Airport logo.svg , image-width = 200 , image2 = GlasgowAirportFromAir.jpg , image2-width = 250 , IATA = GLA , ICAO = EGPF , type = Public , owner = AGS Airports , hub = *easy ...
via
Loganair Loganair is a Scottish regional airline based at Glasgow Airport near Paisley, Scotland. It is the largest regional airline in the UK by passenger numbers and fleet size. In addition to its main base at Glasgow, it has hubs at Aberdeen, Edinb ...
and to Oban and Colonsay via
Hebridean Air Services Hebridean Air Services is a small Scottish airline based in northern Scotland owned by Airtask Group Ltd. The airline flies charter, scenic, aerial photography and scheduled flights. It is the only airline to operate a service between Oban and ...
. Jura has only one road of any significance, the single-track A846, which follows the southern and eastern coastline of the island from
Feolin Ferry Feolin (also known as Feolin Ferry) is a slipway on the west coast of Jura. provides a vehicle and passenger ferry service from Port Askaig on Islay across the Sound of Islay The Sound of Islay ( gd, Caol Ìle) is a narrow strait between th ...
to
Craighouse Craighouse ( gd, Taigh na Creige) is the main settlement and capital of the Scottish Inner Hebridean island of Jura, in Argyll and Bute. In 1971 it had a population of 113. The village is situated on the sheltered east coast of the island at t ...
, a distance of around . The road then continues to Lagg, Tarbert, Ardlussa and beyond. A private track runs from the road end to the far north of the island (no vehicle access to the general public). A local bus service on the island is operated by Garelochhead Coaches. Five electric vehicle charging points are available on Jura. One at the whisky distillery, two in the Village Hall Carpark and two at the commercial units towards the pier, adjacent to the petrol / diesel pumps.


Wildlife and conservation

The island has a large population of
red deer The red deer (''Cervus elaphus'') is one of the largest deer species. A male red deer is called a stag or hart, and a female is called a hind. The red deer inhabits most of Europe, the Caucasus Mountains region, Anatolia, Iran, and parts of wes ...
. Through browsing, the deer prevent the vegetation on the island from turning back to woodland, which is the natural
climax community In scientific ecology, climax community or climatic climax community is a historic term for a community of plants, animals, and fungi which, through the process of ecological succession in the development of vegetation in an area over time, hav ...
; indeed an alternative explanation of the island's name is that it derives from 'the great quantity of yew trees which grew in the island' in earlier times. Jura is also noted for its bird life, and especially for its raptors, including
buzzards Buzzard is the common name of several species of birds of prey. ''Buteo'' species * Archer's buzzard (''Buteo archeri'') * Augur buzzard (''Buteo augur'') * Broad-winged hawk (''Buteo platypterus'') * Common buzzard (''Buteo buteo'') * Eastern ...
,
golden eagle The golden eagle (''Aquila chrysaetos'') is a bird of prey living in the Northern Hemisphere. It is the most widely distributed species of eagle. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. They are one of the best-known bird of p ...
s,
white-tailed eagle The white-tailed eagle (''Haliaeetus albicilla'') is a very large species of sea eagle widely distributed across temperate Eurasia. Like all eagles, it is a member of the family Accipitridae (or accipitrids) which includes other diurnal raptors ...
s and
hen harrier The hen harrier (''Circus cyaneus'') is a bird of prey. It breeds in Eurasia. The term "hen harrier" refers to its former habit of preying on free-ranging fowl. It migrates to more southerly areas in winter. Eurasian birds move to southern Eur ...
s. Since 2010 Jura has been designated by
NatureScot NatureScot ( gd, NàdarAlba), which was formerly known as Scottish Natural Heritage, is an executive non-departmental public body of the Scottish Government responsible for the country's natural heritage, especially its natural, genetic and ...
as a
Special Protection Area A Special Protection Area (SPA) is a designation under the European Union Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds. Under the Directive, Member States of the European Union (EU) have a duty to safeguard the habitats of migratory birds and cert ...
for golden eagles. Like many other parts of the
Hebrides The Hebrides (; gd, Innse Gall, ; non, Suðreyjar, "southern isles") are an archipelago off the west coast of the Scottish mainland. The islands fall into two main groups, based on their proximity to the mainland: the Inner and Outer Hebrid ...
and western Scotland, the shores of Jura are frequented by
grey seal The grey seal (''Halichoerus grypus'') is found on both shores of the North Atlantic Ocean. In Latin Halichoerus grypus means "hook-nosed sea pig". It is a large seal of the family Phocidae, which are commonly referred to as "true seals" or " ...
s, and the elusive
otter Otters are carnivorous mammals in the subfamily Lutrinae. The 13 extant otter species are all semiaquatic, aquatic, or marine, with diets based on fish and invertebrates. Lutrinae is a branch of the Mustelidae family, which also includes wea ...
is also relatively common here, as is the adder, the UK's only venomous snake. The seas around Jura form part of the
Inner Hebrides The Inner Hebrides (; Scottish Gaelic: ''Na h-Eileanan a-staigh'', "the inner isles") is an archipelago off the west coast of mainland Scotland, to the south east of the Outer Hebrides. Together these two island chains form the Hebrides, whic ...
and the
Minches The Minch ( gd, An Cuan Sgitheanach, ', ', '), also called North Minch, is a strait in north-west Scotland, separating the north-west Highlands and the northern Inner Hebrides from Lewis and Harris in the Outer Hebrides. It was known as ("S ...
Special Area of Conservation A Special Area of Conservation (SAC) is defined in the European Union's Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC), also known as the ''Directive on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Fauna and Flora''. They are to protect the 220 habitats and a ...
due to their importance for
Harbour porpoise The harbour porpoise (''Phocoena phocoena'') is one of eight extant species of porpoise. It is one of the smallest species of cetacean. As its name implies, it stays close to coastal areas or river estuaries, and as such, is the most familiar ...
s.


Literary accounts

In 1549, Donald Monro, Dean of the Isles, wrote that the island was "ane ather fyne forrest for deire, inhabit and manurit at the coist syde", with "fresche water Loches, with meikell of profit" and an abundance of
salmon Salmon () is the common name for several list of commercially important fish species, commercially important species of euryhaline ray-finned fish from the family (biology), family Salmonidae, which are native to tributary, tributaries of the ...
.Monro (1549) "Duray" No. 15 However, when the soldier and military historian Sir James Turner visited Jura in 1632, he was less impressed, reporting that '
t is T, or t, is the twentieth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''tee'' (pronounced ), plural ''tees''. It is der ...
a horride ile and a habitation fit for deere and wild beastes'. But at the end of the 17th century, the writer and traveller
Martin Martin Martin Martin (Scottish Gaelic: Màrtainn MacGilleMhàrtainn) (-9 October 1718) was a Scottish writer best known for his work '' A Description of the Western Islands of Scotland'' (1703; second edition 1716). This book is particularly noted for ...
went there and concluded that 'this isle is perhaps the wholesomest plot of ground either in the isles or continent of Scotland, as appears by the long life of the natives and their state of health'. Martin noted some extraordinary examples of longevity, including one Gillouir MacCrain, who was alleged to have kept one hundred and eighty Christmases in his own house. And he was impressed by the good health of the inhabitants: 'There is no epidemical disease that prevails here. Fevers are but seldom observed by the natives, and any kind of flux is rare. The gout and agues are not so much as known by them, neither are they liable to sciatica. Convulsions, vapours, palsies, surfeits, lethargies, megrims, consumptions, rickets, pains of the stomach or coughs, are not frequent here, and none of them are at any time observed to become mad.'


Culture

Like all inhabited
Hebridean The Hebrides (; gd, Innse Gall, ; non, Suðreyjar, "southern isles") are an archipelago off the west coast of the Scottish mainland. The islands fall into two main groups, based on their proximity to the mainland: the Inner and Outer Hebri ...
islands, Jura has its own indigenous tradition of Gaelic song and poetry. Since 1993 it has also been the home of the Jura Music Festival, which takes place annually in September. Jura is featured in the plot of the 2003 novel ''
A Question of Blood ''A Question of Blood'' is a 2003 crime novel by Ian Rankin. It is the fourteenth of the Inspector Rebus novels. The book was a finalist for the ''Los Angeles Times'' Book Prize for Mystery/Thriller. Plot summary DI John Rebus, freshly t ...
'' by
Ian Rankin Sir Ian James Rankin (born 28 April 1960) is a Scottish crime writer, best known for his Inspector Rebus novels. Early life Rankin was born in Cardenden, Fife. His father, James, owned a grocery shop, and his mother, Isobel, worked in a sch ...
, and the 2007 novel '' The Careful Use of Compliments'' by the Scottish writer
Alexander McCall Smith Alexander "Sandy" McCall Smith, CBE, FRSE (born 24 August 1948), is a British writer. He was raised in Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) and formerly Professor of Medical Law at the University of Edinburgh. He became an expert on medical law and ...
, and is a setting for some of the narrative and action in
Anne Michaels Anne Michaels (born 15 April 1958) is a Canadian poet and novelist whose work has been translated and published in over 45 countries. Her books have garnered dozens of international awards including the Orange Prize, the Guardian Fiction Prize, t ...
' 2008 novel ''The Winter Vault''. The island is the setting for the novel "Burning down George Orwell's house, "by Andrew Ervin. In music, Jura is mentioned in: "Crossing to Jura", a song by R. Kennedy and D. MacDonald, recorded in 1997 by JCB with Jerry Holland on the album ''A Trip to Cape Breton''; "The Bens of Jura", a song by Capercaillie; and "Isle of Jura", a song by Skyclad. The UK band Mekons recorded an album on the island in 2015 and called it 'Jura'. The 2010 album ''Poets and Lighthouses'' by Tuvan singer
Albert Kuvezin Albert Budachievich Kuvezin (Russian: ''Альберт Будачиевич Кувезин'' / Tuvan: ''Күвезин Альберт Будачи оглу'', Küvezin Albert Budachi oglu, , alternatively spelled ''Kögeezin'' (Көгээзин, ) ...
of the band
Yat Kha Yat-Kha is a band from Tuva, led by vocalist/guitarist Albert Kuvezin. Their music is a mixture of Tuvan traditional music and rock, featuring Kuvezin's distinctive ''kargyraa'' throat singing style, the '' kanzat kargyraa''. Biography Yat-Kha w ...
was recorded and produced by the British musician Giles Perring on Jura, with some of the performances being recorded in the (now largely felled) forest at Lagg. The album, which featured a photo of the Skervuile Lighthouse in the Sound of Jura as its cover, reached Number 1 in the European World Music Charts in January 2011.


Jura and The KLF

Jura is also known for an event of 23 August 1994, when
Bill Drummond William Ernest Drummond (born 29 April 1953) is a Scottish artist, musician, writer, and record producer. He was a co-founder of the late-1980s avant-garde pop group the KLF and its 1990s media-manipulating successor, the K Foundation, with wh ...
and
Jimmy Cauty James Francis Cauty (born 19 December 1956), also known as Rockman Rock, is an English artist and musician, best known as one-half of the duo The KLF, co-founder of The Orb and as the man who burnt £1 million. He is married to artist and mu ...
, formerly known as the music group
The KLF The KLF (also known as the Justified Ancients of Mu Mu, the JAMs, the Timelords and other names) are a British electronic band formed in London in 1987. Bill Drummond (alias King Boy D) and Jimmy Cauty (alias Rockman Rock) began by releasing ...
, filmed themselves burning £1 million in banknotes in the Ardfin boathouse on the south coast of the island.


Notes


Footnotes


References

* *


Further reading see

* Youngson, Peter (2001) Jura: Island of Deer. Birlinn Ltd. Edinburgh. .


External links

* Digitised historic ma
TIura Insula, The Yle of Iura one of the westerne Iles of Scotland
from th
Blaeu Atlas of Scotland
by Dutch cartographer
Joan Blaeu Joan Blaeu (; 23 September 1596 – 21 December 1673) was a Dutch cartographer born in Alkmaar, the son of cartographer Willem Blaeu. Life In 1620, Blaeu became a doctor of law but he joined the work of his father. In 1635, they published ...
published in 1654
Jura on Scotlandview
Isle of Jura Pictures and Comprehensive info
Orwell's life on Jura
{{Coord, 56, 5, N, 5, 45, W, region:GB_type:isle, display=title Jura, Scotland, Islands of Argyll and Bute Islands of the Inner Hebrides National scenic areas of Scotland Nineteen Eighty-Four Cleared places in the Inner Hebrides