Isle of Jura Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Craighouse, Isle of Jura,
Argyll PA60 7XT Scotland
Tel: +44 (0)1496-820385 / Fax: +44 (0)1496-820344
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Laird Archibald Campbell built the distillery in the early 1800s near a cave where illegal distilling had been carried on possibly from the 1600s. The whisky produced then was a characteristic peaty malt whisky – not at all like the present day product. The distillery was
let out to many people over the years. It was leased to James Ferguson in 1875 and rebuilt in 1884 when it was producing 65,000 gallons per year.

In the early 1900s the Fergusons seem to have been in dispute with the then Laird Colin Campbell and decided to quit the Jura distillery, dismantling and selling the machinery,
which they had installed. The roofs were later removed to avoid paying rates and the distillery became a ruin. It seemed as if whisky making on Jura had come to a permanent end.

In the 1950s Robin Fletcher owner of Ardlussa Estate and Riley-Smith owner of Jura House
and Ardfin Estate got together to see how they could solve a foreseeable jobs crisis on the island. They thought about reopening the distillery to see if new people could be attracted to the island. They were joined by farmer, distiller and architect Delme’ Evans. They raised financial backing eventually, mostly from Scottish and Newcastle Breweries, to build the distillery.

Delme’-Evans designed and built the new distillery on the site of the old ruined one. He said of his plans “My primary aim was to construct an economic distillery within the space available. Everything had to be simple and fall to hand. You could not afford to complicate things in so remote a location. I also had to play mother to the large number of incomers on an island without any policemen - some Saturday nights became quite interesting!”

Everything had to be designed in such a way that the new Jura malt could be produced. “It was our intention to produce a Highland-type malt differing from the typically peaty stuff last produced in 1900. I therefore designed the stills to give spirit of a Highland character, and we ordered malt which was only lightly peated.”

The new distillery was opened on April 26th 1963 and employed a quarter of the male workforce.

JURA’s single malts have won numerous awards and are distinguished for their subtle flavours which are dramatically different to the peaty whiskies from the neighboring island of Islay. Often the smallest of factors can affect the balance of flavours in whisky. Although much of a whisky’s character is decided by the type of barrel it is aged in, the finest single malts quite literally offer a taste of their location, starting with the water that is used to the local weather and atmospheric conditions. During the ageing process, the whisky not only absorbs the flavours of the wood, but the island’s atmosphere and sea breezes as they pass over the porous walls of the barrels. Jura’s exceptionally mild climate and gentle breezes, together with the local spring water, are significant factors contributing to JURA’s smooth, warm and complex flavours.

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Isle of Jura Whisky Distillery

The Isle of Jura Distillery

Isle of Jura Tour & Visitor Information
The Isle of Jura Distillery is open for tours all year round, the only time the visitors centre closes is the two week period over Christmas and New Year.

During Season / March - October
During the season which runs from the end of March throughOctober, we are open from 10am until 4pm on weekdays and run tours at 11am and 2pm.

During Season / Saturdays
The Distillery is open on Saturdays during season from 10am until 2pm, but there are no tours available.

Off Season
Out of season, the Distillery is open weekdays from 11am until 2pm and tours are available daily by prior arrangement. The Distillery is not open at all on the weekends during off season.

Admission: Free of charge

Contact Sue for any additional Isle of Jura Tour & Visitor information as well as for appointments.

Getting There
From Port Askaig, Islay take the Ferry to Feolin (5 minutes, about £12 return for car and two people) accross the Sound of Islay. Follow the only single-track road for 6 miles to Craighouse - you can't miss the distillery on your left.

Parking / Reception
Park wherever you can - there is no designated parking lot. A real Jura welcome awaits you and your tour guide is likely to be someone working at the distillery.

For true whisky enthusiasts there is one over-riding reason to come to Jura, and that is to visit its distillery. There is no quick way of getting to the island of Jura. The fastest method from London involves two planes, a ferry, and the best part of a day. Coming by car from Glasgow takes about the same amount of time. George Orwell, who came here to write 1984, described it as "an extremely unget-at-able place." Things haven’t changed a great deal since then.

Which is partly what makes this Hebridean island – producer of the award-winning JURA single malt – such a magical destination. Only 7 miles wide and 30 long, Jura is inhabited by 5,000 deer and 180 people. Although private telephones were installed in the 1970s, replacing the island’s three, don’t expect to get a mobile phone signal here, let along internet access. With one shop, one pub, a bank that comes once a week and its 180 year old distillery, it’s “as good as life used to be,” as the distillers like to say.

For those who love the great outdoors, Jura is an idyllic place. Its three ‘Paps’ – or mountains - dominate the skyline, distinguishable from miles around and the focus for the tough Jura Fells Race which takes place every May. For those who like to explore, whether by foot, bike, or yacht, there is a wealth of historical sites and natural phenomena to discover; from stone circles and standing stones to ruined castles and iron age forts, from sandy beaches and secluded coves to stacks, pinnacles and caves, as well as raised beaches from the ice-age. Golden eagles, sea eagles, otters and seals are a common sight, and carry on about their business uninhibited by humans. Jura’s exceptionally mild climate has also allowed Peter Cool, the gardener at Jura House, to develop an extraordinary garden within its sheltered walls. Following a trip to Australia and New Zealand 30 years ago, he brought back numerous seeds all of which germinated successfully. Now the garden boasts exotic ferns and grasses which are allowed to mingle with more traditional garden flowers to bewitching effect.

Jura is an island rich in history, myths and superstitions. Excavations show it welcomed some of the oldest settlements in Scotland over 8,000 years ago. It also became a Viking stronghold, while its ancient grave-yard at Kilearnadil boasts a number of Knights Templar grave stones and is reputedly the resting place of a saint. The Corryvreckan whirlpool – apparently the world’s second most powerful – nearly claimed George Orwell’s life. Other claims have been made recently to suggest it was the inspiration for Scilla and Charybdis in Homer’s epic, The Odyssey. To the North of the island Maclean’s Skull Cave contained a real human skull, thought to belong to a man slain in a clan battle, which eventually disappeared in the 1970’s. Meanwhile during the highland clearances, a villager prophesised that the last laird of the Campbell family would leave the island one eyed with all his possessions in a cart – which indeed came to pass, in 1938 when Charles Campbell sold the estate after it had been in the family for nearly 300 years and the few possessions he took with him were taken to the boat in a cart drawn by a white horse.

Jura may be hard to get to, but as those who’ve been there will testify, it’s a place that’s even harder to leave.