Understand
Jura, though fairly large in size, is a sparsely populated island with a population of approximately 210 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 A-class 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 run by Spar, hotel and pub. This is also where you will find the only two places to eat out on the island - the Jura Hotel and the Antlers Bistro. The village of Craighouse is also home to the island's only distillery and only functioning 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.
In Ardlussa, the road splits. The right fork takes you to the hamlet of Inverlussa, where it is possible to wild camp. The left fork takes you past a sign which says 'End of Public Road 3 miles'. 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. Note that it's a 7-8 mile hike from the end of the road to the view of the whirlpool.
