Jura, Across the Water

Jura has just 258 people across the whole island (2022 census) and one single-track road that gives out well short of the island's northern tip — if Islay's distilleries can start to feel like a well-worn trail, Jura is the opposite: quieter, wilder, and considerably harder to get to by accident. There's no guided tour running at Isle of Jura at the moment, so today is built around the island itself and the distillery shop rather than a walk through production — the visitor centre stays open as normal, Monday to Friday, 10am to 4pm, with the full range of Jura Whisky expressions and merchandise to browse. Getting there is part of the day: drive to Port Askaig on Islay's east coast, then take the short ferry crossing to Feolin, before that one road carries you the rest of the way to Craighouse, Jura's only village and the distillery's home. Jura sets its own pace, with nothing much to hurry you along. With a full day and transport to spare, the Misty Pool is worth finding — a proper detour off Jura's one road, and about as far from a whisky tour as this trip gets, in spirit as much as distance. Whatever you do, check the return ferry times before you settle in — Jura runs to the crossing's schedule, not yours.