Isle of Jura Blog » event

Support the Jura Ferry Now

Ron — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 10:01:48 +0000

When the nominations started for this years ForArgyll awards I was one of the first to nominate the Jura Passenger Ferry. Not that a reward will solve their financial problems but getting enough publicity and showing that the ferry exists, and is there for everyone to use, is perhaps the greatest award they can get. The nomination phase started about a week ago and much to my surprise and pleasure the Jura Passenger Ferry ended up being a finalist in the category best tourism initiative. The Jura Passenger Ferry has to compete with the Lochgoilhead Fiddle Workshop, Mull Eagle Watch and the Walking Theatre Company.

What can you do to support the Jura Passenger Ferry? Visit the ForArgyll website and go to the page forargyll.com/forargyll-votes-2009/. Here you can submit one vote per category. The Jura Passenger Ferry is the only Jura related website. Another Jura related candidate is the Ileach, Islay and Jura Newspaper, and there are several participants from Islay. Enough for everyone I should say so please go to the ForArgyll website and vote. Thanks very much.

Jura Half Marathon

Ron — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 15:29:38 +0000

The Jura half marathon and 10k run is to take place on Saturday July 18th 2009. The half marathon starts at 12noon while runners in the 10k will set out at 1.00pm. Registration for both events takes place from 11am in Craighouse village hall. There will be a barbeque followed by a dance at night with Archie and Alec MacAllister with doors open 9pm.

Scottish Ultra Marathon 2009 Results and Report

Ron — Sun, 10 May 2009 18:16:27 +0000

Competitors in the Vango Scottish Ultra who have suffered a week of wet and windy weather, making it more of a challenge than it perhaps initially seemed. [image courtesy Carl Reavey]

After cancellation of the last day due to atrocious weather the final results of the 2009 Scottish Ultra are: 23.33.36 Andrew Murray, 24.04.15 Rob Holding, 24.43.00 Rick Gannon, 25.18.04 Donnie Campbell, 29.52.56 Michael Evans, 30.18.45 Murray Resinski, 30.38.05 Jo Kilkenny, the only female contestant (Irish), 31.01.10 Jon Williams, 31.04.15 Craig Liddle, 31.44.55 Richard Shaw, 31.52.41 Rob Lewis, 32.43.28 Jas Baillie, 33.58.21 Andy Willday, 35.15.18 Justin McLaurin, 39.32.21 Mark Caddy, 40.32.48 Tony Gilmour. Click here for day to day results

Islay’s Niall Colthart has a report: ‘I have not taken my camera on the hill as there was not a dry part of my kit to put it in. Conditions on the hill have been as bad as I have ever seen them at this time of year. This has led the race route to be constantly amended as we have had to put twice the resources in, in terms of feet on the ground into each section, so where we might have had two hill sections we are doing one with a road section. Sunday’s section passed over the bealach between the Paps in visibility of around 20 metres with winds gusting to around 50kts. One group of five were temperarily disorientated and ended up back at the check point that they had left an hour earlier.

‘One problem that we encountered yesterday quite early on was deteriorating river crossings, with all the major crossings having to be assessed at regular intervals and in some cases manned. By the time Karen Sidall, Phil Briggs and I had swept the runners off the hill last night, we were wading over our waists. ‘Today’s section has been amended to a road run from Loch Tarbert to the Corrievreckan and back. With an eye on the weather, we have amended tomorrow’s section to go out Loch Tarbert to Glenbattrick, then up Evan’s Walk to camp at Corran Sands. The race will be completed with a short run in to the finish on Friday at Jura Distillery. ‘There are currently nineteen runners still going. Retirals have been due mainly to hypothermia, and one broken foot. Cam Carter from Australia in particular found the environmental conditions hard to adjust to, on top of lack of sleep from jet lag.’

Scottish Ultra Marathon in Ultra Bad Weather

Ron — Wed, 06 May 2009 18:13:11 +0000

Carl Reavey, editor of the Ileach Newspaper, went out last Monday to capture day two of the Scottish Ultra Marathon that started on Islay on May 3rd and lasts for six days. The Ultra Marathon has two stages on Islay and four on Jura. On Sunday the weather was pretty good but it broke down on Sunday evening and it has been raining almost non-stop since. The forecast doesn’t look too good either so it will be a very tough challenge for all involved. In the video below you can see footage from day two and it has a lot of water in it but also some smiling faces too!

The Vango Scottish Ultra – Day 2 from ileach newspaper on Vimeo.

Scottish Ultra Marathon on Its Way

Ron — Mon, 04 May 2009 09:36:12 +0000

Yesterday was the first day of the Ultra Marathon with a start on Islay. Conditions were pretty good from what I’ve heard. Today is day two, again on Islay but the weather has broken down and it will be a tough day for many people. Here is the route for today: Bunnahabhain to Feolin via Rhuval. Killinallan, Craigens and West Carrabus. Then Knockdonn, Loch Skerrols, Scarrabus, Balole, Loch Finlaggan and down to Port Askaig to camp across at Feolin on Jura. Good Luck to everyone!!

Below a video from day 1 of the 2008 Race. I hope to receive some images tonight from a friend on Islay. If anyone else wants to share their images of this years race please send me an email. Thanks very much!