Jura Distillery

Heritage attraction

Explorer Tom

Jura Distillery stands by the shore at Craighouse, where an island of fewer than a few hundred people once decided it needed its whisky works back. There are grander industrial stories, but few with such a clear view of the sea from the front door. The tall copper stills have one gloriously practical explanation: the distillery says they were the biggest that would fit on the boat over. Archibald Campbell, the island’s laird, established the original Small Isles distillery in 1810. It gained its official whisky licence in 1831, and later owners James Ferguson and Sons invested in buildings and machinery. Demand fell, the distillery closed in 1901, and the island went more than sixty years without its working stills. Rebuilding began in 1960 and the new distillery opened in 1963, bringing jobs back to Craighouse. Its designer, William Delme-Evans, gave it those unusually high stills; the copper’s shape helps make a lighter, fruitier spirit. I would have watched the unloading from the boat, just to see whether anyone held their breath. Water reaches the works from Market Loch after rain and snowmelt pass down from the Paps of Jura. That is a better geography lesson than most maps offer: hill, loch, stream, still, glass. The distillery has changed owners and whiskies over the years, but its place in the village remains easy to see. You can book a classic tour of the production area or a separate warehouse tasting. Check which you want, since the warehouse visit does not include a production tour. The published 2026 visitor hours are weekdays, and children on tours must be at least eight. Plan the ferries as carefully as the whisky: on Jura, arriving is part of the tale.

What is recorded here

Jura Distillery began in 1810, fell silent and was rebuilt in the 1960s as a deliberate attempt to restore work and population to the island community.

Read the whole record

Jura Distillery began in 1810, fell silent and was rebuilt in the 1960s as a deliberate attempt to restore work and population to the island community.

Why it was built

Archibald Campbell founded the first licensed distillery at Craighouse in 1810, using island water and access to barley and sea transport. Later owners rebuilt parts as the whisky trade changed.

People and work

Island landowners Robin Fletcher and Tony Riley-Smith backed revival after decades of closure. Architect and distillery designer William Delmé-Evans planned the new works, which opened in 1963 and created local jobs.

How it changed

The original business closed around the start of the twentieth century and its buildings were stripped. The rebuilt distillery used tall stills and modern equipment while retaining the same village site and name.

What survives

Production buildings, warehouses, still house and water supply remain in active use beside Craighouse. The tall copper stills produce a lighter spirit than the heavily smoky whisky often associated with nearby Islay.

Why it mattered

Jura Distillery matters because its return was an island development project as well as a commercial venture. The works helped keep employment and a permanent population in an exposed community.