The modern name Jura dates from the Norse-Gael era. Two different Old Norse words have been suggested:
• Dyrøy meaning 'deer island' is the generally accepted derivation.
• Jurøy, meaning 'udder … See more

Jura is composed largely of Dalradian quartzite, a hard metamorphic rock that provides the jagged surface of the Paps. On the western half … See more

Early years
Evidence of settlements on Jura dating from the Mesolithic period was first uncovered by the English archaeologist John Mercer in the 1960s. There is a Neolithic chambered cairn at Poll a' Cheo in the southwest of the … See more

In 1899, counties were formally created, on shrieval boundaries, by a Scottish Local Government Act, under which Jura became part of the County of Argyll. In 1975 the counties were replaced by a two-tier system of regions and districts: Jura formed part of the See more

OS settlements
Places classified as settlements by the Ordnance Survey include:
• Ardfernal
• Ardmenish See more

In his later life, George Orwell moved to Barnhill, on Jura, living there intermittently from 1946. During that time he was critically ill with tuberculosis. Orwell left Jura in January 1949 to get treatment at a sanatorium in Gloucestershire and never returned to the island. See more

There are now seven estates on Jura and a whisky distillery, all in separate ownership.
• Ardfin: situated at the southern tip of the island, between … See more