30 Sep Isle of Jura, South Argyll
Jura lies off the coast of Argyll, long, dark and low like a vast Viking longship, its billowing sail the distinctive triple peaks of the Paps of Jura. A magnificently wild and lonely island, it’s the perfect place to get away from it all – as George Orwell did in 1948. Orwell wrote his masterpiece 1984 while living at the remote farmhouse of Barnhill in the North of the island, describing it in a letter as a ‘very un-get-at-able place’.
Jura takes its name from the Old Norse dyr-a (deer island) – an apt appellation, as the island supports a population of around 6000 red deer. The deer outnumber their human cohabitants by about 35 to one. Most of the island is occupied by deer-stalking estates, and access to the hills may be restricted during the stalking season.
The Isle of Jura is a hidden gem that is worth a visit on your tours of Scotland.