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.

Contact Us
Isle of Jura Distillery
Craighouse, Isle of Jura,
Argyll PA60 7XT Scotland
Tel: 01496-820385
Fax: 01496-820344
E-mail: Isle of Jura 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.

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