Eating & Drinking on Jura

Eating out on Jura is a pretty simple affair. You've got two choices, both small, simple and seasonal as much as possible.

The Jura Hotel, the only pub on the island, is the centre of village life. It does good comforting pub grub and is a great way to spend an afternoon or evening, with one of the best views of any pub in Scotland - looking out over Small Isle's Bay with yachts bobbing and jangling on their moorings, maybe a seal or two, or watching a winter storm lashing down outside.

In summer the hotel garden is a wonderful spot to laze away a long Scottish evening and there's a huge field for kids to run around, jump off the rocks, play hide and seek or kick a ball around. The locals often have five a side football one or two evenings a week in the summer, kids and adults all playing together - please do come and join. For dreich days and winter there is a pool table and darts inside and live music on Sunday afternoon is always a good time to drop by, just to listen, or join in if you fancy a twang or sing song.

The Antlers, just opposite Jura Community Shop, does wonderful homemade deli lunches, grazeboards and specials in the evenings - check their pages for what's on that week. They are also fully licensed and it's a lovely spot to linger over a lazy lunch or evening meal as locals and visitors drop in and out. Kirsty's sourdough loaves are just the best, and her pastries and brownies a bit too scrummy to be safe.

Keep an eye on the Jura diary as well - pop-up pizza nights and curry nights happen from time to time and of course there is the Burns' Supper in January if you're fond of haggis, neeps and tatties.

For food supplies, the Jura Community Shop stocks all essentials although different delivery days for different products can sometimes mean not everything is in stock when you want it.

The nearest "supermarket" (think Tesco Metro size) is the Co-Op in the main square in Bowmore on the Isle of Islay, which has pretty much everything you'll need apart from exotics. You're on holiday, embrace it! Bear in mind it's about 25 miles/ an hour each way from Knockrome/ Craighouse plus ferry fare (currently £23.20 return), so often makes sense to combine with a trip to an Islay distillery, the RSPB sanctuary at Loch Gruinart, pottery painting at Persabus or a blowy walk along Machir Bay at Kilchoman.

If you're here for a bit longer or you've brought your Ottolenghi cookbook and want specific foods to cook it's safer to make sure you've brought anything special with you, and definitely any oddities!

But the Jura Community Shop certainly appreciates you support and it helps keep the shop open for us locals so please do come and shop with us!

For fresh local meat on Jura, Wild Jura venison is some of the best game you'll find anywhere. Cath and Andy who set the business up used to own and run the Jura Hotel, and now work with the local Jura estates who manage the deer population here. Steaks, burgers, mince - all absolutely premium, wild, sustainable and wonderful. Can be bought in the Jura Community Shop or direct from them.

For local seasonal seafood, ask for local fisherman Richard in the village - he brings in whatever he catches, from crab and lobster to lingoustines. Hand dived local scallops are also a real treasure and are harvested in a sutainable way, the very antithesis of the dredgers which plough the coastline wreeking havoc on the seabed and local ecosytems. When eating out, ask whether the scallops are hand-dived or dredged, so you know what you are getting.

Kirsty, who helps run the Antler's Bakehouse makes delicious homemade pies - local Jura venison, chicken and a vegetarian option. We try to keep some in stock at Bothan Jura Retreat, but if you're in the village worth grabbing from the Antler's - a quick, easy meal after a long day's bash about on the hills (or lazing in the garden with a book). She also does very moreish sourdough bread, brownies and pastries and baked goodies which never last very long in our house.

For other fish and seafood, Jean's Fish Van comes to Jura on Thursdays. She stops outside the Distillery at 1.45pm. Call or text by Tuesday lunchtime to order.

We stock the huts and cottage with basic dry goods and condiments to get you started and each has a fully kitchen with full sized electric oven, induction hob and fridge freezer plus all the pans you'll need. If you're stuck for anything we've probably got some in our house so do ask.