What’s on site

The ice barrel is chilled and filtered, and goes on between 08:00 and 09:00 every morning. It needs one to two hours to come down to temperature, so any other time has to be arranged in advance rather than switched on when you fancy it.

Cold water immersion, and what it is like on Jura in February, is covered in the wellness guide.

Mrs Leonard’s Cottage has its own private sauna for two. Separately, we run Bothan Jura Wild Sauna, our wood-fired mobile sauna — usually down at Corran Sands, five minutes’ walk from the huts, and very much part of staying with us. We light the fire and get it hot for you, then you get hot, cool off in the sea or river, repeat.

The sauna also moves around the island, particularly for events such as the Fell Race and Music Festival, so check where it is when you book. It can be booked as a private hire or for individual shared sessions.

The shed sits in the middle of the site at Knockrome and is open to all our guests. It holds a combination table tennis, pool and air hockey table, our wonderful library, and the guest freezer with Kirsty’s pies and pastries. There is also a 10-inch Dobsonian telescope which we wheel out onto the decking on clear winter nights.

We use the shed for art and making messy wonderful things too, so it can sometimes be a bit chaotic. There is a kitchenette for making tea and coffee, and a toilet and shower room for people staying in The Shepherd’s Hut, which is off-grid and has only an emergency Portaloo. Our private gym is in here as well, and can be used by prior arrangement.

Mrs Leonard’s Cottage, The Black Hut and The Rusty Hut each have their own Swedish wood-fired hot tub in their own gardens. The Shepherd’s Hut does not have one.

The hot tubs take 2–3 hours to heat from cold and are a labour of love. Enjoy the ritual, make it your evening focus, nurture the fire, give it lots of attention and you will thank yourselves as you are lying back under the stars soaking away the day’s aches. Light it well in advance of when you think you want it ready.

Mrs Leonard’s, The Black Hut and The Rusty Hut each have their own gas-fired Ooni. We can arrange one for The Shepherd’s Hut — just ask.

We keep frozen dough balls in the freezer — a two-ball package is £25 and makes two pizzas. It needs 24 hours’ notice to defrost and prove, so book in advance and we will get them out for you. Bring your own sauce and toppings; Jura Community Stores in Craighouse or the Co-op on Islay are closest, or stop en route.

Each unit arrives with a basket of logs for the stove and a crate of logs for the hot tub. After that, more logs are £10 a crate or £1 each from the log store by the cottage, and heat logs for the hot tubs are £1 each from the front of the shed.

The heat logs really do help get the hot tubs going, and it is worth getting two or three just to get started.

The freezer in the shed is stocked with pies and pastries from The Antlers Bakehouse & Bar in Craighouse — also called Deer Island Bakehouse — at £6 a pie and £2 for a bag of two pastries. We also try to keep wild Jura venison burgers and steaks, but check in advance or pick up at the shop in Craighouse.

Everything runs on an honesty box and is sold at cost, to make the stay better rather than at a profit. Settle up before you leave, either by the cash-free Honesty Box QR code, by bank transfer, or with cash in the boxes in the units.

There is no shop, no restaurant and no fuel at Knockrome — Craighouse is the nearest for all three, with the Co-op on Islay the nearest shop for a bigger selection. The Shepherd’s Hut has no bathroom of its own; you use the one in the shed. The ice barrel is not available on demand: it needs its hour or two to chill. The gym is our private gym, but you are welcome to use it if arranged with us. It is unstaffed and unsupervised.

What you can do beyond the gate — walks, beaches, whisky, wildlife — is in the Jura guides.

We have a private gym in the shed. Please contact us if you would like to use this during your stay. It has a Magic Mirror, a Peloton bike, a Pilates reformer, a yoga inversion chair, yoga mats, gymnastic rings, and a bench press with a full set of adjustable free weights. There are kettlebells, dumbbells, a medicine ball, resistance bands and mats as well.

Use of the gym and its equipment is entirely at your own risk, and you are liable for any damage. We are not liable for any injury arising from use.

Is the gym included?

Yes. The gym is in the shared shed and free to guests of every unit. It is unstaffed, and used at your own risk.

Do I need to bring firewood?

No. Each unit arrives with a basket of logs for the stove and a crate for the hot tub. After that logs are £10 a bag or crate, or £1 each, and heat logs are £1 each from the front of the shed. A wood-fired hot tub takes more wood than people expect on a cold night.

Can I use the ice barrel whenever I like?

It is chilled between 08:00 and 09:00 every morning. It needs one to two hours to come down to temperature, so any other time has to be arranged in advance rather than switched on when you fancy it.

Does every unit have a hot tub?

Three of the four. Mrs Leonard's Cottage, The Black Hut and The Rusty Hut each have their own Swedish wood-fired hot tub, and each has its own pizza oven. The Shepherd's Hut is off-grid and has neither.

Is there a shop at Knockrome?

No. The nearest shop, pub and fuel are all in Craighouse, four miles south. There is an honesty box in the shed with pies at £6, pastries at £2 a bag of two, and wild Jura venison.

Are dogs welcome?

Yes, at £15 per dog per stay. Every unit has a bird table with feed provided, so we ask that dogs are kept from the feeders.

How do the pizza ovens work?

Mrs Leonard's, The Black Hut and The Rusty Hut each have their own gas-fired Ooni; the Shepherd's Hut does not. We keep frozen dough in the freezer — a two-ball package is £25 and makes two pizzas — but it needs 24 hours to defrost and prove, so ask on arrival. Bring your own toppings.