Where is john o groats

Add a room. Check Availability. Visit advice page. This Highland village combines dramatic, unspoilt scenery and fascinating wildlife. In King James IV granted De Groot the ferry franchise between the harbour here and Orkney, which was at the time still a relatively new acquisition by Scotland. It has been suggested that De Groot gave his name to the silver coin, the Groat, as this was the level at which his fares were fixed by the authorities to curb his efforts to cash in on his franchise.

The truth is that groats as coins predate De Groot by the better part of two centuries. De Groot started the development of the area around the harbour, building a house, reputedly octagonal, and located not far from the hotel. Whether he chose this shape to provide better protection from the elements, or to ensure, as one story would have it, that every guest at his octagonal dining table could believe themselves to be sitting at its head, is debatable.

Either way, it is interesting to see the shape reflected in parts of the design of the John o' Groats Hotel. John o' Groats. John o' Groats Harbour. Visitor Information View Location on Map. Rowling Story. Explore Wikis Community Central. Register Don't have an account? John O'Groats. View source. The Orkney Islands were ceded by Norway to Scotland in in lieu of the unpaid dowry of Queen Margaret of Denmark and traffic between islands and Scottish mainland increased.

Jan de Groot operated the ferry - another legend is that the fare was a groat worth four pence , but his name means Jan the Great or "Big John". Scotland's historic arterial routes ran from the main Post Office in Edinburgh, with A9 ending here, though the last stretch from Wick has been re-designated A John o'Groats is the most northerly settlement on the mainland of Great Britain, but it's not the most northerly point - that's nearby Dunnet Head.

This is the only direct means to get to John o'Groats.