This path can berough and boggy, but the views over the Gulf of Corryvreckan and its infamous whirlpool to the uninhabited island of Scarba are well worth the effort. If you do walk to Barnhill, make sure that you have plenty of time to reach the northern tip of Jura. It’s a beautiful walk into solitude and remoteness, following the same track George Orwell had followed on his first journey here. It then becomes a private track and four and half miles along it you’ll find Barnhill House. The public road officially ends about three miles beyond Ardlussa Bay. If you don’t plan to stay at Barnhill House, you can still walk to this famous landmark on Jura (although being a holiday let, it isn’t open to ‘drop-in’ visitors). A pair of sea eagles nest nearby, wild goats and deer wander in the garden and you can fish from the bay. And because there’s pretty much nobody here, you’ll find lots of wonderful wildlife. A coal-fired Rayburn takes care of the hot water and a cast-iron stove in the sitting room will keep you toasty in the evenings. You’ll still need a boat or a 4x4 to get there and you’ll rely on a generator for electricity. It’s the perfect place to escape the hustle and bustle of 21st century life and chill out as you channel the ghost of Orwell.īarnhill is just as secluded as it was in Orwell’s time. Barnhill is now run as a holiday home and is available for let. Barnhill House, the isolated property he stayed in, remains in the hands of the Fletcher family from whom Orwell rented it. Many people make the journey to Jura in homage to George Orwell. So it’s no surprise that George Orwell moved to Jura in 1946 to give himself ‘six months’ quiet’ to write one of his most famous novels 1984. Indeed, you’re more likely to encounter the island’s deer (there are between 6000 and 7,000 on Jura) than a fellow tourist. On Jura you can expect peace and solitude. There are huge tracts of uninhabited and remote moorland and hills to explore, much of it only accessible on foot. It’s mountainous, wild and sparsely populated.
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