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 Scotsman. The 12,000-acre Ardfin Estate, which includes Jura House Garden, was bought last November by London-based Australian hedge fund manager Greg Coffey. Not long after his purchase the Jura House Garden was closed. You can see how beautiful the gardens are in the Jura House Gardens Image Gallery
The Scotsman wrote in the before mentioned article “He is understood not to have visited the island since buying the estate, on which most of Jura’s 210 islanders live and five are employed, since its purchase six months ago. Elaine Campbell, the development officer at the Jura Development Trust, said there was concern that the closure of the garden, which attracts around 2,500 visitors every year, could impact on the island’s tourist economy. “Everybody has that fear, because the garden had a great number of visitors every year. They’re unique. It would be hard to say that it’s not going to impact us in some way. We’re all very uncertain about it at the moment.”
“The MSP for the area, Mike Russell, said tourism was the island’s lifeblood. “Jura needs as much help as possible to get to critical mass, and everything it loses diminishes from that,” he said. A spokesperson for Coffey said the gardens at Ardfin House were being renovated. He added: “However, it is Greg’s full intention that once all the renovation works are completed, which is probably going to be at the end of the year, Greg will look to re-open the gardens next year at some point.”
The last paragraph by the spokesperson for Mr Coffey sounds positive although the words “will look to re-open” don’t sound like a firm promise to me. Perhaps you as readers and visitors of the island would like to express the importance that these gardens to remain open for both the locals and tourists. If you do please feel free to leave a comment below and let’s hope it will help!
A visit to the gardens was included in the itinerary of a Brightwater Holidays tour to Islay & Jura. What a disapointment for the passengers and economic loss to the island.
It’s very sad, and compounded by Mr Coffey’s closure of the estate farm and sale of all the livestock. The estate has had only two previous owners (the Campbells and the Riley-Smiths) since the mid-seventeenth century. They may have been paternalistic, but at least they cared about the island and its residents, whereas the new owner hasn’t even bothered to visit since he took possession last year. The Diurachs are showing remarkable forbearance in the face of this behaviour – let’s hope their patience is rewarded and Mr Coffey realises that the privilege of owning an estate brings with it obligations as well.
Dave, I think you’ve said exactly what a lot of people are thinking. Thanks for that.
Fingers crossed Mr Coffey’s attitude will change for the better!
Having been to Jura this year for the first time in a few years I would have loved to see the gardens. Its a true
loss to the islanders and visitors that this attribute has been put out of bounds.
With the ferry finally reinstated you would hope to have increased footfall and need all the attractions to encourage
people to spend their money on the island.
Here’s hoping Mr Coffey is willing to share the beautiful asset he now owns. It would be a catastrophe is he doesnt.
Im coming back over later this year and while I would still love to go round the gardens, the tranquility, beauty and charm of the island is still the main draw.
What a sad loss for Jura, I visit Jura every year with my family and one of the first things we do is visit the oasis that is Jura gardens, it’s one of our highlights of the year to walk down to the beach with the children and then share tea and cakes with the chaffinches at the tea tent. So we were very disapointed to find the gardens closed this year and we not able to admire the wonderful work Peter Cool does throughout the year. Obviously this seems a trivial concern compared to the closure of the estate farm and it’s impact on the residents, here’s hoping Mr Coffey will re consider his actions.
This is a great loss to Jura and Argyll. What does this renovation involve and what has happened to those who worked in the Gardens and in running Jura House? Does Mr Coffey have a vision for the future of the estate and its people?
I too visited the otherwise magical isle of Jura on 03/06/11 only to be greeted with 2 notices one in the car park and the other on an information board near Jura house ‘the gardens are closed until further notice’. The surrounding pasture land also without cattle/sheep. I asked in the town and was told Mr Coffey had visited the house twice since purchasing it, has sold off/gave away the livestock and has no plans to open the garden , although the notice did state the gardens will be open for 4 days this year-2011. Another version is that mr cofey has been advised by ‘his people’ and plans to make good/safe the various bridges and paths. Then re-open the gardens to the public. All very contradictory. Fingers crossed for the future. Would not care to see it overgrow or redeveloped into a hotel.
Norman Bissell asks two good questions:
1. what has happened to those who worked in the Gardens and in running Jura House?
The two gardeners are still working there – as far as we can tell, Mr Coffey is not planning to neglect the garden. The issue is whether he will allow anyone else to visit it.
2. Does Mr Coffey have a vision for the future of the estate and its people?
Apart from the ‘spokesperson’ quoted in the Scotsman article (see link in the blog above), Mr Coffey’s silence has been deafening. This is very much part of the problem. If he were to communicate with his new neighbours – easily done via Jura Jottings, the island newsletter – it would do a lot to allay people’s concerns.
I have been fortunate to visit the Jura Gardens twice in tha past few years and was blown away by their beauty. The setting is magical and Peter Cool has devoted the past 30+ years to re-storing and maintaining them with complete dedication. I really hope this doesn’t get lost and that the relatively small number of visitors to Jura (many of whom are surely lured by the prospect of a garden visit) can still benefit from their beauty. His wife, Mirjam, has looked after Jura House which has been available for rent whilst under the ownership of the Riley-Smiths. Maintaining a huge old house like this certainly needs commitment, and also a feel for the era and lifestyle it represents. Friends of mine are currently visiting the island are are very saddened to find the “closed until futher notice” sign.Let’s hope Mr Coffey can communicate his plans soon and offer some reassurance to those who love this place.
I stayed once at Jura House with my family and friends one of whom had known the house and the Riley-Smith family from her childhood, for well over 40 years. A first visit for me but a second for my husband and children.
The gardens tended by Peter Cool and the house overseen
by his wife Mirjam. The gardens were an absolute joy as
was the whole estate and I am sure this transition will have
its ups and downs but hopefully the new owner will see that
in keeping the gardens as they have been over the years and open to visitors, that it brings enormous pleasure to those coming to the island, indeed, I am sure some come just for the gardens, and in doing so it will not intrude on his privacy or the peacefulness of the house and its immediate surrounding grounds. I remember watching, from the billiard room, deer coming up the drive in the early evening and leaping over the wrought iron fencing to get into the fields. The house needed bringing gently into
the 21stC it would be wonderful if the rest could stay as it was.
Having lived and worked on the island in the 60’s and 70’s and having the privilege to return on many occasions since moving to “The Mainland” in 1976, it would be a terrible shame not to allow the tourists and islands folk access to these beautiful gardens. The two youngest members of the family, Mara and Coire, aged 6 and 8, had their first visit last year, 2010, and our next trip was planned for August 2011, this might have to be on stilts looking over the wall !! Mr Greg Coffey, there is very good access to the island, visit soon with a single ticket as you wont want to leave.