Discover 6 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Isle of Jura (United Kingdom). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Beinn an Òir, Beinn Shiantaidh, and Beinn a' Chaolais. Also, be sure to include Paps of Jura in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Isle of Jura (Scotland).
Table of Contents
Beinn an Òir
Peak in Scotland. Beinn an Òir is the highest peak of the Paps of Jura on the island of Jura, Scotland. It is the highest peak on the island, standing at 785 metres, and is thereby a Corbett.
Beinn an Òir is frequently climbed along with the other two peaks forming the Paps: Beinn Shiantaidh and Beinn a' Chaolais. The most usual route for this ascent starts from the bridge over the Corran River, and Beinn an Òir is invariably the second peak to be climbed, regardless of which order of peaks is chosen for the route. Alternatively, it is possible to avoid the other two peaks and climb Beinn an Òir from either of the bealachs that separate it from its neighbours.[1]
Beinn Shiantaidh
Peak in Scotland. Beinn Shiantaidh is the second highest peak of the Paps of Jura on the island of Jura, Scotland. It stands at 757 metres above sea level, and with over 300 metres of relative height is therefore a Graham.[2]
Beinn a' Chaolais
Peak in Scotland. Beinn a' Chaolais is the lowest peak of the Paps of Jura on the island of Jura, Scotland.
It stands at 733 metres above sea level, and with over 300 metres of relative height is therefore a Graham.[3]
Paps of Jura
Mountain in Scotland. The Paps of Jura are three mountains on the western side of the island of Jura, in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. Their highest point is 2,575 feet.
They are steep-sided quartzite hills with distinctive conical shapes resembling breasts. The word pap is an ancient word of Old Norse origin for the breast. The Paps are conspicuous hills that dominate the island landscape as well as the landscape of the surrounding area. They can be seen from the Mull of Kintyre and, on a clear day, Skye, Northern Ireland, and Malin Head.
One of the simplest routes of ascent starts from Craighouse. The route of the annual Isle of Jura Fell Race includes all three Paps and four other hills.
When viewed from Kintraw Argyll the midwinter sun briefly shines between two of the paps just before setting.
These hills were the subject of William McTaggart's 1902 painting The Paps of Jura, now displayed in the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. a[4]
Ardfin
Ardfin is a country estate on the island of Jura, Inner Hebrides, Scotland. It is situated at the southern tip of the island, between Feolin and Craighouse. It includes Jura House which is a Category C listed building. The old house was extended by architect William Burn in 1838 for the laird Colin Campbell, with further extensions in 1878 by Alexander Ross and circa 1900 by Ronald Carswell. The next owners from 1938 were the Riley-Smith family, owners of John Smith's Brewery in Tadcaster, North Yorkshire. The estate was sold in 2010 after the death of Tony Riley-Smith. The gardens are home to specimen plants from Australasia, which were held in high regard by horticulturalists. The estate also includes 16 kilometres of coastline and seven islands over a total of 4,692.3 hectares.
In November 2010, the Ardfin Estate was purchased by Greg Coffey, an Australian hedge fund manager. Jura House was doubled in size and clad in Portuguese limestone. Coffey closed the gardens to the public, and disposed of all livestock from the estate's working farm. The closure of the gardens aroused concern among island residents and visitors. In June 2012 it emerged that Coffey was planning a golf course on part of the estate. The course was completed and due to open in spring 2019, but the opening was delayed, and then delayed further by the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. Elsewhere on the estate, the former farm buildings were converted into a luxury hotel for the use of visiting golfers. A review made this comment about the private course: "Ardfin is intended to be an ultra exclusive investment, which will appeal to the golfer with the means to play this logistically difficult, but beautiful course".[5]
Barnhill
Historical landmark in Scotland. Barnhill is a farmhouse in the north of the island of Jura in the Scottish Inner Hebrides overlooking the Sound of Jura. It stands on the site of a larger 15th-century settlement called Cnoc an t-Sabhail; the English name Barnhill having been in use since the early twentieth century. The house was rented by the essayist and novelist George Orwell, who lived there intermittently from 1946 until January 1949; he completed the novel Nineteen Eighty-Four at Barnhill.
According to a BBC report, Orwell was spending months on the island "to escape the daily grind of journalism and to find a clean environment which doctors thought would help him recover from a dangerous bout of tuberculosis". Orwell left Jura in January 1949 to get treatment at a sanatorium at Cranham, Gloucestershire and never returned to the island.[6]