I’ve created this video using my Android phone to show you how peaceful it can be. The last part of the video is shot from the track of “Evan’s Walk” that leads to the Paps. The views from there include Lowlandman’s Bay and the Small Isles Bay. Enjoy!

Argyll and Bute Council has agreed to give the Jura Development Trust £24,000 to keep the passenger ferry service between Jura and Tayvallich operational for summer 2011. The money is a one off until the findings of the Scottish Ferries Review are known.

It has been agreed at a meeting today (June 2nd) there will be support for the Jura Development Trust from the Business Gateway team with the development of a business model. The council is fully supportive of the case the trust is putting to the Scottish Government for sustainable government funding of the Jura to Tayvallich fast ferry service through the Scottish Ferries Review.

Spokesperson for Rural and Island Affairs, Housing and Gaelic, Councillor Robin Currie said “I am absolutely delighted that Argyll and Bute Council is financially supporting the Jura passenger Service this year as the continuation of this service is vitally important to the economy of the island. Myself and others have been determined that this service continues this year because if it were not to run, it would be extremely difficult to resurrect the service next year. The Council and Jura Development Trust both agree that the funding for ferry services should be the remit of Scottish Government, so jointly we will be campaigning for the Scottish Government to take over the funding of the service in future years.”

This press release was posted in the Facebook Group “Save the Jura Passenger Ferry“

On a personal note I’ve often wondered why Jura had such a different position in the larger West of Scotland Calmac dominated ferry system. After all, Jura has a larger population than some other islands on the west coast of Scotland who do have their own, or indirect, Calmac Ferry such as Gigha, Rum, Coll and Lismore. One can argue that these islands have no alternative ferry route via another island but Jura wouldn’t need an alternative ferry link via Islay either if it would have a direct link with the mainland. In my humble opinion having a direct link to the mainland is the only way the island would be able to develop economically in the future. And that direct link could be a passenger ferry or a combined car/passenger ferry. We know already that money will be lost anyway, be it through a loss making Calmac Ferry service such as the one on Gigha or through a subsidised council ferry. Most ferry routes in the west of Scotland are already heavily subsidised by the Scottish Government anyway so why pull the the plug on Jura, doesn’t this island need a “lifeline ferryservice”? I think it’s a shame that a government, regional or national, takes away money from Jura for the passenger ferry and gives it back to the Western Isles in the form of Road Equivalent Tariff (RET). This way they benefit local businesses and accommodation providers in the western Isles over the backs of businesses in Argyll and in this case Jura in particular. I know you can’t really compare the two different schemes but in my opinion this is just not right!

So what about the future? I guess when the necessary funds can be found the service will run again but at this moment I understand it’s very uncertain if and when this will happen. All I can recommend now is to visit the Jura Passenger Ferry website for the latest information, to make a donation and to hope for the best!

The Ileach writes that “In January, Sandy MacTaggart, Argyll & Bute’s Executive Director of Development and Infrastructure Services failed to attend a meeting with representatives of Isle of Jura Development Trust to discuss future financing of the ferry. The meeting had been arranged to suit Mr MacTaggart, cost over four hundred pounds and 60 man-hours for the Jura representatives to attend and the only information imparted was that Argyll & Bute Council had no spare money for the Jura Ferry. “Councillor Robin Currie, (Kintyre & the Islands) has since established that £275,000 exists in a Discretionary Transport Fund, but, as of mid-March, no directive on how that money can be accessed has been issued by Argyll & Bute Council.”

It’s needless to say that this is a huge blow for the already fragile economy of the Isle of Jura. It’s also no surprise to hear that the ferry ran with a loss, it was after all a pilot. There was however a good chance that this ferry service would have become profitable in the long run. And if we talk about losses, most of the current ferry services operated by Calmac are running with a loss as well and need money from the government, why make an exception for Jura? Islands like Lismore and Gigha do have their own (car) ferry service. You can argue that passengers for Jura can use the Islay ferry but you can’t really call that a serious alternative. Travel times to and from Jura are much longer and day trips to Jura from the mainland are not possible. For now we can only hope that a solution will be found, especially in the current economic climate.

If you would like to help support the service you can participate in a survey or make a donation on www.jurapassengerferry.com

Councillor Duncan MacIntyre, Argyll and Bute Council’s spokesperson for transport and infrastructure, hopes the assessment will show the service can continue. He explains;
“The passenger service has been very popular with both islanders and visitors as it provides a rapid and direct alternative to the services from Kennacraig. However the service can only carry on if it is financially viable. “The council’s budget is under enormous pressure and we have to consider carefully where funds are spent in the future. While no-one wants to see the service disappear we can’t afford to support private enterprises which are not financially successful. I urge everyone travelling to Jura to consider using this ferry – it will only survive if more people pay to use it.” Argyll and Bute Council has added an extra £5,000 to the £37,500 it has already given to the service. HIE has today added a further £5,000 with £1,700 coming from the Jura Development Trust.

unless £12,500 can be found soon, the first direct ferry service to the mainland in almost 40 years will have to cease in the middle of next month – six weeks before the end of a three-year pilot. If that happens nobody knows whether the ferry, which runs from the beginning of April to the end of September, will ever start again. The fast passenger route was launched by a community company in 2008 with grant aid from Argyll and Bute Council.

Deborah Bryce, community plan co-ordinator with the Jura Development Trust, said the direct ferry was vitally important to the island. “It has carried over 6000 passengers since it began in 2008 and generated around £30,000 per annum to the local community supporting and helping to sustain local businesses,” she said. “If we lost the ferry we would not be going back to where we started, but further back. Since the ferry began we have a new award-winning restaurant, The Antlers, a privately owned hotel and more visitor accommodation. The community have now lost their sense of isolation and look forward to what and who the ferry brings.” She said the trust would be contacting the council to ask for help funding the shortfall so the service can finish its trial. “We now have accurate figures that indicate the ferry needs 55 to 60% subsidy, which I understand is less than the average subsidy given to most transport services in Argyll, but would certainly make it viable,” she added.

Direct access to Jura has been a problem ever since 1972, the last time a MacBrayne’s ferry provided a service to the mainland. For decades there was debate over a ferry crossing between Jura and Argyll that Islay drovers used to get cattle to market 200 years ago. Many feared it would turn Jura into a busy thoroughfare for its more populous neighbour. Perhaps the Scottish Ferry Review can come up with answer to this urgent problem. Looking at the population of the island one might come to the conclusion that they should have their own Calmac ferry, just like smaller islands such as Gigha, Rum, Lismore etc. In the meanwhile the Argyll and Bute council are doing everything they can to obtain the necessary funds to let the ferry run until the end of the summer season but it is by no means sure that they will succeed. Fingers crossed!

With a predominantly southerly aspect, over 10 miles of coastline and a climate that is cushioned by the Gulf Stream, Ardfin extends to about 11,595 acres and is an estate which is described by the inhabitants of Jura as the most significant on the island. Occupying the majority of the southern part of the island, and rising to an elevation of over 1,500 feet above sea level, the views from most parts of the estate to nearby Islay, the Mull of Kintyre and (on a clear day) Northern Ireland are one of its outstanding features.”

The nice thing about a sale is that you get a good overview of the estate including detailed information of Jura House and the other outbuildings which is otherwise not so easy to get. The PDF brochure shows some nice interior images of Jura House including floorplans and some really nice images.

Views from the Ardfin Estate

One of the interesting features of the sale is that there it includes seven uninhabited islands: “Each of these is uninhabited with the exception of Castle Island, south of Ardfin Farm, which includes the ruined remains of Claig Castle – a one time stronghold of Clan MacDonald. There are no manmade structures or development of the islands. Off the east coast of the estate, and situated in the bay which faces the settlements of Craighouse and Keils, are four small islands, the English names of which are Flat Island, Rabbit Island, Little Rabbit Island and Goat Island. Lying off the southern coast of the estate on the edge of the Sound of Islay are three more islands called Brosdale, Castle and Green Islands. With no more practical use than being a very pleasant place for a picnic and for grazing by deer, which periodically swim out to them, the islands are a haven for nesting sea and shoreline birds including oyster catchers, ringed plovers, eider and shellduck, and various species of gull. Common seals and otters are also a frequent sight on and around these islands.”

For more information check out this link or read all about the estate in the PDF brochure