The resulting turbulence creates a large, swirling vortex as well as towering standing waves, smaller and more ephemeral eddies, and violently crashing whitecaps. The roiling mass of water races through the constrained space at a breakneck speed of eight knots, where it smashes into an underwater stone pinnacle. This tidal whirlpool is the third largest in the world and forms when the tides rush through the Gulf of Corryvreckan, a narrow strait between Jura and the island of Scarba. If you’re sharp eyed, you’re also likely to see the low, dark shapes of breaching minke whales and basking sharks in the waters between the island and the mainland.Ī hike to the northern end of the island or a trip in a rigid-hulled inflatable boat can afford you a glimpse of another of Jura’s offshore wonders: the Corryvreckan Whirlpool. Those waters teem with wildlife, and it’s easy to spot sunning seals, diving seabirds and otters frisking in the surf. A hike to its 880 m (2,560 ft) peak rewards you with views of the windswept landscape and the wave-tossed ocean. The middle of the three, Beinn an Oir (the Mountain of Gold), is also the highest. The village is tucked in under the Paps of Jura, three mountains that share a distinctive mounded shape. On a tour, you can learn about the history of both the island and the distillery, as well as taste a dram of the single malt. The community is dominated by Jura Whisky, a single-malt distillery with exceptionally tall stills. The largest settlement, Craighouse, is a small and thriving village of low whitewashed houses that are strung out along the one road, facing across the Inner Seas to the mainland. Any visit here will almost certainly bring you face to face with one of these noble creatures, which stride across the island unafraid of humans. In fact, the name ‘Jura’ is thought to derive from the Old Norse word for ‘Deer Island’. More than 6,000 roam the island, outnumbering the humans 24 to 1. Visitors come for the waters, which are rich with marine wildlife, the rounded mountains and the vast population of red deer, Scotland’s largest land mammal. There’s just one road and most of the island is inaccessible except by foot or boat. Despite the fact that it’s one of the largest islands in the Inner Hebrides, this wild isle is home to just a few hundred hardy souls in a scattered handful of small villages. Bounded by surging seas and dotted with restless herds of red deer, the Isle of Jura provides a glimpse into Scotland’s untamed past.
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