A Family Return to Jura

Returning home carries a special kind of magic — especially when that home is the land of your ancestors. For those with Scottish roots, stepping onto the soil of their forebears can stir something deep and timeless, a sense of belonging that transcends generations.

For the owner, Elizabeth Clark McCormack, known to many as Betsy, returning to Jura was far more than a visit — it was a profound homecoming to the island of her ancestors. Jura has always held a special place in her family’s heart. The Clark connection to the island stretches back through turbulent times. One ancestor, Gilbert Clark, returned to Jura after fighting in Ireland around the time of the Battle of the Boyne. He came home to devastating loss: his first wife and most of their family had been killed amid the religious conflicts of the era. Gilbert returned with his only surviving child and later remarried a woman who had endured similar suffering. It was from this resilient line that his descendant, Alexander Clark, was born.

In the early 1730s, Alexander Clark left Jura for North Carolina with his wife, Flora McLean seeking a better life amid ongoing religious and economic hardships. They were among the early Highland settlers who helped establish the Barbecue Presbyterian Church community in the Cape Fear region. They carried with them a deep and enduring connection to Jura’s landscape — one that would journey across generations and the Atlantic.

Almost 300 years later, Betsy returned to Jura to walk in the footsteps of her forebears.

From the moment she stepped onto the island, Betsy felt this cianalas — that profound Gaelic sense of deep-rooted belonging and homecoming. The island is magical, like stepping back in time to see the mountains and bays as if witnessing what her ancestors had seen. It is a feeling known to happen to many with Scottish ancestors, who experience an immediate, visceral pull when they set foot on the land of their forebears.

What began as a journey into the past became something much more personal. Her daughter, Jane, met Cameron Lindsay, whose family has deep roots on Jura and a remarkable connection to The Old Post Office itself. Cameron is the son of Graeme and Alison Lindsay, long-time residents of Jura. Graeme, a retired RAF serviceman, continues the family tradition today as Jura’s postman. They too have a deep love and connection to the island and the home. The Old Post Office was long associated with the Lindsay family — descendants of John Lindsay, who served as postman in the mid-to-late 19th century — and has stood at the heart of Lagg’s postal story since that era.

In 2026 Betsy purchased The Old Post Office, bringing the house into a new chapter of family care. For her, this was never just about buying a property. It was about honoring a place where family history, island memory, and everyday life on Jura come together — and ensuring that this wonderful, magical experience of cianalas and ancestral connection is passed on to her grandchildren and generations to come.

Why We Share The Old Post Office

We want guests to experience what made us fall in love with this house and this island: the view across sandy Lagg Bay, the changing light over the Sound of Jura, the quiet roads, the deer on the hillsides, the warmth of the Aga in the kitchen, and the simple pleasure of coming home to the crackle of a log burner after a day outside.

The Old Post Office has been carefully refreshed so it can welcome guests comfortably, but we have worked to preserve the character that makes it feel rooted in place. Its white-harled stone walls, exposed beams, stripped timber doors, Suffolk latches, lattice windows, gardens, and slate paths all speak to the generations who lived and worked here before us.

We see ourselves as temporary stewards of a house with a much longer story than our own. Our hope is that every guest feels that history, enjoys the peace of Lagg, and leaves with their own happy memories of Jura.

Our Invitation to You

Whether you come to climb the Paps, walk the coast, visit the distillery, spot otters and eagles, swim from quiet beaches, or simply sit by the fire with a dram of Jura whisky, we hope The Old Post Office feels like a true island home during your stay.

Please make yourselves comfortable, sign the guest book, explore gently, and enjoy this timeless corner of Jura with the same care and affection that brought us here.

We are so glad to share The Old Post Office with you.

With warm island wishes,

The Clark & Lindsay Families
The Old Post Office, Lagg
Isle of Jura