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Isle of Jura Books

Welcome to the Isle of Jura bookshop, where you can buy a wide selection of Jura (related) books and maps through our association with Amazon.co.uk. Ordering and payment is via Amazon’s well established and secure system. In purchasing items in this way you benefit from Amazon’s prices and you also help support the Jura website.

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Jura – Island of Deer

Jura – Island of Deer

This work surveys Jura, one of the largest of the Inner Hebrides. The barrenness of Jura’s landscape has meant that it has always had a smaller population than its neighbours, and was often overlooked in affairs of the times. However, Jura had its part to play through the centuries and, perhaps because of its isolation, it has a fascinating story to tell of Campbell domination, of the hardships endured by its people and of it contribution to emigration. Youngson not only presents the broad sweep of the island’s history, from the Mesolithic period to the present day, but also focuses on other aspects, such as Jura’s natural history and geography and the legends, poetry and song produced by its inhabitants.

Hamish Haswell Smith – The Scottish Islands

Hamish Haswell Smith – The Scottish Islands

From the abandoned crofts of Mingulay and the standing stones of Orkney to the white beaches of Colonsay and the spectacular Cuillins of Skye, this is a complete gazetteer covering all of Scotland’s many hundreds of islands, including those which are uninhabited and those which are notoriously difficult to reach. Packed with information on access, anchorages, points of historical or natural interest and things to do and see, this compendium provides information for touring, for browsing, for reference, and for all of those travellers who wish to experience some of the most beautiful and remote places in the world. Illustrated with full colour illustrations and relief maps of all the main islands, this is both an impressive work of reference and a fascinating personal view of Scotland’s distant outposts.

Jura Language and Landscape

Jura Language and Landscape

The book, a joint project between the Feolin Study Centre (Jura) and the House of Lochar Publishing Company, (Colonsay), was written by Gary McKay (Ph.D. Geography) and features photographs from his 2004 landscape photographic exhibition entitled, “Jura 365”. The success of the exhibition resulted in calls for a book featuring the “best of” the photographs and some commentary as well. Gary McKay has researched and compiled, where possible, oral stories about each place featured in the book and carefully translated the stories from their original Gaelic into English, while trying to retain their original flavour. Coupled with short, incisive and personal introductory paragraphs, the book is not an elegy for a Hebridean island that has lost its original culture, but a proud and defiant shout of cultural self-awareness.

The Spirit of Jura

The Spirit of Jura

Sixty years ago, the beautiful island of Jura provided George Orwell the solitude and inspiration he needed to write his political masterpiece, “Nineteen Eighty-Four”. In 2006, the Scottish Book Trust established their Jura Malt Whisky Writers’ Retreat Programme to give writers the same peace and space, and it is now recognised as one of the best creative opportunities available. In 2007, authors Will Self, Janice Galloway and Philip Gourevitch took a month out, writing and living in the beautiful Distillery Lodge, to work on specially commissioned stories, published here for the first time. Poems, essays and artworks from other writers and artists, including Liz Lochhead and Kathleen Jamie, who have enjoyed a stay on Jura are also included in tribute to Jura’s awe-inspiring landscape and the creativity it stimulates. Beautifully illustrated throughout.

Island Walks

Island Walks

This guide introduces the islands by way of a series of 26 graded walks (easy to strenuous) of various distances (2-13 miles) which will appeal to walkers of all ages and experience. After short preliminary sections on the islands, Stephen Whitehorne introduces the main points of interest (scenery, wildlife human settlements, etc.) and goes on to provide essential information for the walker – OS references, distances, terrain, convenient stops and various options. As well as sections on natural history and geology and Gaelic language and culture, the book also includes indispensable practical information on weather, local transport, accommodation, access and safety considerations, thus enabling visitors to make the very most of their visit to the islands. This volume covers the following islands: Arran – Islay – Jura – Colonsay and Oronsay – Kerrera – Lismore – Mull – Iona – Tiree – Coll – Bute – Gigha – Staffa

Islay, Jura and Colonsay: A Historical Guide

Islay, Jura and Colonsay: A Historical Guide

The story of Islay, Jura, and Colonsay is one of the most fascinating among all the Hebrides. They have had substantial human occupation since earliest times and man has left many relics across the islands. With over 80 line illustrations and extensive maps and plans, the book brings to life these beautiful and fascinating islands. This work explores the history of the Hebridean islands of Islay, Jura and Colonsay. It covers the human occupation since earliest times, the relics left on the islands, monasteries, forts, carvings, artefacts of mesolithic times through to the modern-day distilleries of Islay and Jura.

George Robertson – Islay and Jura

George Robertson – Islay and Jura

As part of a series of books by Scotland’s leading photographers, George Robertson (Lord Robertson of Port Ellen), former Defence Chief of NATO, has produced an intriguing and, dare I say it, eccentric collection of photographs of his favourite islands. And has also provided us with an individual view of the isles through a ten page introduction to many of the delights described through his colour photographs in the following pages. The photographs are not necessarily the images of the islands that you would normally see – George knows the place(s) well, and from a different viewpoint than those generally charged with this visual task. From the legs of Islay Pipe Band (really) to the remains of a deserted Islay village of yesterday, this book will let you into many of Islay and Jura’s secrets that you may have missed on a recent visit, or will be eager to track down on a forthcoming one.

Samuel Johnson – Journey to the Hebrides

Samuel Johnson – Journey to the Hebrides

Samuel Johnson and James Boswell spent the autumn of 1773 touring the Highlands and the Western Islands of Scotland. Both kept detailed notes of their impressions and later published separate accounts of their journey together. The account of their great tour is one of the finest pieces of travel writing ever produced: it is a historical document and also a portrait of two extraordinary personalities. The juxtaposition of the two very different accounts creates a portrait of a society which was utterly alien to the Europe of the Enlightenment, and straining on the brink of calamitous change. It is suitable as a key text for school and college courses in literary or social history studies. Samuel Johnson is the author of “A Dictionary of the English Language” and “The Lives of The English Poets”. James Boswell is the author of “The Life of Samuel Johnson”.

Landranger Map

Landranger Map

This Jura map is part of the Landranger (Pink) series and is designed for people who really want to get to know an area. It includes the following information: tourist information, camping and caravan sites, picnic areas and viewpoints and selected places of interest. Each map in the series covers an area of 40 km by 40 km (25 miles by 25 miles) and like other Ordnance Survey maps, National Grid squares are provided so that any feature can be given a unique reference number. Perfect for planning ahead and local excursions, these maps are full of useful information that will help you really get to know an area

Landranger Map

Landranger Map

This map is part of the Ordnance Survey’s Explorer series designed to replace the old Pathfinder map series. At 1:25,000 scale this detailed map shows a host of attractions including gardens which are open to the public, nature reserves and country parks as well as all official footpaths, bridleways, roads and lanes. Other facilities covered include: camping and caravan sites, picnic areas and viewpoints, selected places of interest etc. The main advantages of this map are the geographical design of the sheetlines to capture the best local coverage, and the coverage of a larger area for value for money. The series is aimed mainly at the experienced map user but can be used by tourists and locals alike.