CONTENTS
Map key
Overview map
Introduction
Jura
Islay
Colonsay
History
Geology
Wildlife
Getting to the Southern Hebrides
Getting between the islands
The routes
Maps and route-finding
Safety and emergencies
What to take
Using this guide
Jura
Walk 1 The Gulf of Corryvreckan
Walk 2 Road End to Glengarrisdale
Walk 3 The west coast walk
Day 1 Ardlussa or Kinuachdrachd to Glengarrisdale
Day 2 Glengarrisdale to Shian Bay
Day 3 Shian Bay to Cruib Lodge
Day 4 Cruib Lodge to Glenbatrick Bay
Day 5 Glenbatrick Bay to Feolin Ferry
Day 5A Glenbatrick Bay to the A846 via Glen Batrick
Walk 4 North Jura coast and glens
Walk 5 Tarbert to Cruib Lodge bothy
Walk 6 Glengarrisdale to Cruib across Jura’s northern hills
Walk 7 Ardlussa to Corpach Bay and Am Miadar
Walk 8 The Paps of Jura
Walk 9 Evans’ Walk to Glenbatrick Bay and return
Walk 10 Glas Bheinn and Dubh Bheinn
Scarba
Walk 11 Cruach Scarba
Islay
Walk 12 Rhuvaal and the north-west coast
Walk 13 An Cladach, McArthur’s Head and the Sound of Islay
Walk 14 An Cladach–Beinn Bheigier circuit
Walk 15 Beinn na Caillich and Beinn Bheigier from Ardtalla
Walk 16 The Oa peninsula
Walk 17 Sanaigmore to Kilchiaran
Walk 18 Ardnave Point
Colonsay
Walk 19 Around Oronsay
Walk 20 South Colonsay coast
Walk 21 Lower Kilchattan to Kiloran Bay
Walk 22 North Colonsay coast
Walk 23 Scalasaig to Kiloran Bay along the Old Road
Appendix A Route summary table
Appendix B Walks on other islands
Appendix C Useful contacts
Appendix D Glossary
Appendix E Further reading
Maps and route-finding
It is essential that you are equipped with the appropriate maps for undertaking the walks described in this guide. There are few signposts and almost no waymarks or even paths of any kind on the routes covered here, making accurate route-finding all the more important. Even walking on the coastal routes is far from straightforward as there are many impassable sections where the shoreline has to be abandoned for higher ground, as well as other natural features that need to be negotiated. This guide incorporates Ordnance Survey Landranger 1:50,000 mapping with highlighted routes. These should be used in conjunction with OS Explorer 1:25,000 maps because of the greater topographic detail they afford. Do not rely solely on the maps in this guidebook. Should you have to abandon your walk and make for the nearest road or habitation, you will need to be able to work out where you are in the wider context.
Wild goat and deer tracks can be useful for negotiating the often challenging terrain on Jura and Islay (there are no deer on Colonsay), but these should be followed with a degree of caution.
The walks described in this guide are covered by the following Ordnance Survey maps:
OS Explorer 1:25,000
Sheet 355 Jura and Scarba
Sheet 353 Islay North
Sheet 352 Islay
Sheet 354 Colonsay and Oronsay
OS Landranger 1:50,000
Sheet 60 Islay
Sheet 61 Jura and Colonsay
Driftwood fire at Am Miadar, west coast of Jura