Jura and the Sea

It becomes obvious, as one travels around these islands, that in the old times, the West Highlands was a sea faring area. Today, aside from ferries, there are plenty of yachts, but no birlinns.

The Celtic Galley Association exists to encourage the skills of the sea, "including traditional boatbuilding, sailing, rowing, and seamanship. It also seeks to promote knowledge of the maritime history of the Celtic Seas and to enable a wide range of people to have access to their cultural heritage."

And, of course, there is a book written by Denis Rixson, about this maritime galley. It seems to me that there is, potentially, a really excellent team sport in birlinn racing.

Jura Landscape

Aside from coastal 'microclimates', Jura looks like this:

Dominating the skyline are the "Paps of Jura". "Paps" mean "breasts." While we were there, we met a large retinue of athletes who were going to run up and over the Paps. They all looked very fit. In my opinion, the distillery tourists looked jollier.

Jura: the Hotel, and etc

We stayed at the Jura Hotel in Craighouse, right beside the Jura Scotch Distillery. The latter produces "Superstition" Single Malt Whiskey which is one of my favourite kinds.


These are some of the trees outside of the Jura Hotel, by the way.

Jura: The Hotel, and its landscape

I really enjoyed our stay on this island. It has a very small human population (apparently some 200 people), and a very large deer population. "Jura" means "Isle of the Deer". The people live on the east side of the island (the west is too rocky). On the north end is the Corryvrecken, an outrageously dangerous whirlpool between Jura and the Isle of Scarba. Apparently, it is in full roar during the winter months. Roads up in this part of the Island are rare and difficult. They advise four wheel drive, etc. So, Mary and I did not even try to go that far north. One person who did go up there, and spent the last years of his life in that part of the world, at "Barnhill", was GEORGE ORWELL. While there, he wrote "1984." Given the description of this isolated place, one has to agree that George was a hair shirt kind of guy.

Jura

There is a small ferry that travels across the Islay Sound to Feolin on Jura.

The Feolin Centre is a nascent information centre for Jura. It is part of the Inver Estate, the southernmost estate on Jura.