Things to Do on Jura: Wild Atlantic Adventures
Jura is a different kind of island, and I mean that as a compliment. There is one road, it winds along the coast for about 20 miles, and almost everything else is moor, mountain, and red deer. The population hovers around two hundred, and the deer outnumber the people many times over. I came for the whisky and stayed for the emptiness, which turns out to be the real attraction. Here is what made the trip.
Take on the Paps of Jura
The Paps of Jura are the rounded quartzite hills that you see from miles away across the Sound of Islay, and they are the islands signature. Three of them crest the skyline, Paps means breasts in Gaelic, and at 785 metres they are not huge. But they are worn smooth, blanketed in scree, and the climb is a slog that turns the first two hours into careful rock hopping. The reward is a view across to Islay, the Atlantic islands, and on a clear day right over to the Scottish mainland and even Ireland’s coast. I would not call it an easy hill, but I would call it essential. Take the right footwear and a good few hours.
Tour the Jura Distillery
Jura Distillery stands alone by the sea at Craighouse, the islands only real village. It is the beating heart of the place, and the tour is the most reliable thing to do on a dreich day. The whisky is softer and fruitier than its Islay neighbours across the water, aged in a range of casks that give it a warm character. Book ahead in summer. What I love is the story of it, an estate and a small workforce keeping a craft alive on an island most people never reach.
Drive the Single Road
Do not treat the drive as a way to get somewhere. Treat it as an activity. The road hugs the west coast, dipping past empty coves, scattered crofts, and the wrecks of abandoned settlements, most memorably the village of Lealt that was cleared of its people in the nineteenth century. Stop often. At the northern end the road simply ends, not far from a Neolithic fort and wild headlands where the Atlantic does what it likes.
Whales, Dolphins and Deer on the Water
Look to the sea and you will usually find something. Minke whales, dolphins, and porpoises work the surrounding waters, especially in summer, and there are boat trips that seek them out. Even from the shore I watched a pod of dolphins playing in the Sound of Jura. Bring binoculars and patience. And keep an eye on the hillsides, the red deer of Jura are everywhere, and a quiet estuary at dusk is the best chance to watch them up close.
Walk the Empty Beaches
Some of my favourite hours on Jura cost nothing and involved no plan at all. The island is ringed with empty beaches and shingle coves that you will likely have to yourself, even in the height of summer. There is something humbling about a beach with no footprints and no facilities, just the sound of the sea and the vast sky. I recommend a picnic and absolutely no schedule.
My Advice for Getting the Most From Jura
Jura rewards the slow approach. Give it at least two nights so you get a full day beyond the drive and the distillery. Pack for wind and rain no matter the forecast, the weather changes by the hour. Bring food with you, because shops are minimal. And while the deer are remarkable, the real gift of Jura is the rare feeling of being properly alone on a wild island with a whisky waiting at the end of it.
