Isle of Jura
| Gaelic name |  Diùra |
|---|---|
| Norse name | Dýr-ey/Hjǫrt-ey |
| Meaning of name | Old Norse for 'deer island' |
| Location | |
 Jura
Jura shown within Argyll and Bute
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| OS grid reference | NR589803 |
| Coordinates | 56°00′N 5°54′W / 56°N 5.9°W |
| Physical geography | |
| Island group | Islay |
| Area | 366.92 km2 (142 sq mi) |
| Area rank | 8 |
| Highest elevation | Beinn an Òir 785 m (2,575 ft) |
| Administration | |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Country | Scotland |
| Council area | Argyll and Bute |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 196 |
| Population rank | 31 |
| Population density | 0.5 people/km2 |
| Largest settlement | Craighouse |
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| References | |
Jura (/ˈdʒʊərə/ JOOR-ə; Scottish Gaelic: Diùra [ˈtʲuːɾə]) is an island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland, adjacent to and to the north-east of Islay. Compared with its fertile and more populous neighbour, Jura is mountainous, bare and infertile, covered largely by vast areas of blanket bog, hence its small population. In a list of the islands of Scotland ranked by size, Jura comes eighth, whereas ranked by population it comes thirty-first. It is in the council area of Argyll and Bute.
Evidence of settlements on Jura dating from the Mesolithic period was first uncovered by the English archaeologist John Mercer in the 1960s. There is evidence of Neolithic settlement at Poll a' Cheo in the southwest of the island. The modern name "Jura" dates from the Norse-Gael era and is from the Old Norse Dyrøy meaning "beast [wild animal] island".
In the 6th century, it is believed that Jura may have been the location of Hinba, the island to which the Irish founder of the Christian Church in Scotland Saint Columba retreated for prayer and contemplation from the monastic community which he founded on Iona.
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