📌 Village in Highland
★★
Scores of little-known places in Caithness are deserving of wider recognition by visitors. Unfortunately John o’ Groats is the opposite: a well known location which turns out to be (mostly) a disappointing collection of tourist shops spoiling an otherwise pleasant stretch of coastline. There is also a village of sorts, but it’s set back from the main car and coach parks so will barely register for most tourists. Why do people keep visiting then? Well, it’s generally recognised as the northernmost point in mainland Britain. This is incorrect – that title goes to Dunnet Head. It’s also known as being (bear with me) the northern end of the longest distance between two points on the mainland (the southern end is at Land’s End in Cornwall). That’s also incorrect – Duncansby Head is more distant from Land’s End. But every Brit has heard of John o’ Groats, and for this reason it’ll continue to attract tourists to its windswept tarmac and greasy fast food stands for the foreseeable future. The good news? Things have improved a little over the past decade – you no longer have to pay to take a photograph of the signpost (!), there’s a new brewery which is worth a look, and the new Northern Point cafe serves decent fare. And once you’ve had your fill, the “real” record holder locations mentioned above are only a short journey away.
🌍 Location
📌 Highland
🧭 O.S. Grid Reference: ND 380734
🛰️ GPS coordinates: 58.643723,-3.069912
🚶 You could walk along the coast to Duncansby Head and its sea stacks – allow half a day.
🚢🚌 There are buses from Thurso, also connecting with the Gills Bay ferry to Orkney. A passenger ferry to South Ronaldsay (Orkney) departs from here.
Explore nearby
<3 mi away
>> Walk: Stacks of Duncansby drama ★★★★ (2 mi →)
