Together, Islay and Jura look like a lobster advancing southwest-wards with Islay being the head and claws open for action, and Jura stretching away as the tail. Between the lobster’s claws is the vast inlet of Loch Indaal, an internationally significant bird sanctuary. The islands are home to many nature and wildlife reserves, and all can be reached by Calmac ferry or by the more romantic method of a fast private water taxi from Crinan Harbour

This group of islands lies to the west of the Kintyre peninsula and south of the Isle of Mull. Islay and Jura are only just separated from each other by the narrow Sound of Islay. Its nine knot bore, one of the fastest in navigable waters in the UK, is caused by the same tidal flows as produce the legendary whirlpool of the Gulf of Corryvreckan which separates Jura from the Isle of Scarba in the north.

The tiny island of Colonsay lies west and directly north of the Sound of Islay, has one of the most beautiful beaches in Scotland at Kiloran Bay and is the unlikely home to an energetic publishing house, The House of Lochar.

Islay was the headquarters of the Lords of the Isles, a medieval coastal lordship that ranged from the Orkneys to the Isle of Man and chose to base itself at the inland fastness of Loch Finlaggan.



Jura is one of Scotland’s genuine wildernesses. It is almost bisected by Loch Tarbert. Its southern end is dominated by the immediately recognisable Paps of Jura, an anatomically incorrect threesome of conical mountains, the biggest of which - Ben Oir - is a Corbett (over 2500 feet high). Named after deer, the Isle of Jura today has a thriving population of red deer, supporting the revenues of the sporting estates.

If Scotland is synonymous with malt whisky, the famous ‘Islay Malts’ are the aficionados’ heart of the matter. Islay is encircled by the legendary distilleries of Ardbeg, Bowmore, Laphroig, Lagavulin, Bruichladdich, Bunnahabhainn and Caol Ila. These are matched by the malt produced at Jura’s one distillery at Craighouse.

The waters around these islands are rewarding sailing grounds and are marked by a range of yacht havens including the timeless lagoon at Craighouse on Jura, so very reminiscent of the freedom and innocence of Ransome's "Swallows and Amazons".

Use the Business Directory to track down any information you need. There are shortcuts to some key information on the side menu and the pages here in this section will give you narratives on travel, activities and background.