The Jura Passenger Ferry started its summer timetable on Thursday 5 April 2012. The service runs between Craighouse on the Isle of Jura and Tayvallich on the west coast of mainland Argyll. Transport Scotland and Argyll and Bute Council are funding the service following a surge of public support for the Ferry when full funding wasn’t available last year. The Ferry runs every day except Wednesday until 24 September this year, starting again in spring 2013.
Visitors to the island this summer, including those coming to this weekend’s story-telling festival Tip of the Tongue, and the Isle of Jura Music Festival in September, can arrive at the heart of the island in less than an hour, under half the time other routes take.
As well as making Jura easily accessible from the mainland in under an hour the service allows islanders to make day visits to Lochgilphead, Oban and Glasgow, for business, social and hospital visits.
A day visit from the mainland gives around 7 hours on Jura. With heritage sites from the Mesolithic onward, the Isle of Jura Distillery, a choice of places to eat and our pub all just a short hop from the arrival point in Craighouse the time is likely to fly by. For the energetic it is more than enough time to bag a Pap or two or three.
Transport Minister, Keith Brown announcing the funding said “Jura is one of the gems of our many wonderful islands, and we are delighted to help with the necessary support which will ensure local communities continue to feel all of the benefits that increased tourism and footfall on the island will bring.”
The Ferry service is run by Jura Development Trust and operated by Nicol MacKinnon, to book just call 07768 450000. You can find the timetable at www.jurapassengerferry.com
Posted on April 17 2012
The artists featuring in Tip of the Tongue – Bàrr mo Theanga have been announced along with ticket details. The festival of oral culture will be held on Jura over Easter weekend, 8 and 9 April 2012.
I think a word of warning is necessary before you read this article because it’s not going to leave you any happier, in fact I think when you’re done reading you are probably just as upset as I am. Why, you might wonder? What can be so terrible on this Jura Blog to upset you. After all, the Island is a wee bit of heaven, its inhabitants are friendly, the landscape is breathtaking, it’s quiet, there are beautiful unspoilt beaches, thousands of red deer live here, George Orwell wrote his book, the island produces superb malt whiskies and Golden Eagles frequent the skies…. What in heaven’s name can be wrong?
John Potts, chairman of the Isle of Jura Development Trust wrote the following article for the 
Jura’s first festival of oral culture will be held over Easter weekend, the 8 and 9 April 2012. Jura’s annual September jamboree of Scottish Traditional music has been a must go, must see, must hear event for over a decade and a half. Now, that team is bringing their enthusiasm to mounting an Easter holiday event.
Ardlussa House at the north end of the Isle of Jura will be opening its garden and woodland walks for a couple of weekends in June to raise money for Small Isles Primary School on Jura.
Let me start by saying that I know just as little as most people do about Jura House Gardens but recently I found out from people I met on Jura and Islay that they weren’t aware of the situation with the gardens at all. Fact is that the Jura House Gardens have been closed “until further notice”. So far I found out that this “further notice” means that the gardens will remain closed for the remainder of 2011. But what about next year? Let me try to explain what the situation is using information from an article in the 
