John o’ Groats (Scottish Gaelic: Taigh Iain Ghròt) is a village 2 1⁄2 mi (4 km) northeast of Canisbay, Caithness, in the far north of Scotland. This Highland village combines dramatic, unspoiled scenery and fascinating wildlife.
John o’ Groats lies on Great Britain’s northeastern tip, and is popular with tourists as one end of the longest distance between two inhabited British points on the mainland, with Land’s End in Cornwall lying 876 mi (1,410 km) southwest, but it is not the northernmost point of Great Britain, which is the nearby Dunnet Head.
The sign you’ll usually find above the harbour at John o’ Groats says it’s 874 miles from, or to, Land’s End. And while Dunnet Head ten miles to the west, extends further north, and Duncansby Head, to the east, is probably a mile or two more distant from Land’s End, John o’ Groats is the place you start or finish if you want to cover the length of Britain – cycling, running or whatever you fancy. As a result, it’s attracted quite a following over the years.
Visitors can explore several gift shops at John o’ Groats and there is another coffee shop and a small museum. The Tourist Information Centre doubles up as a shop offering a very good selection of books of local interest.
I have produced a video that captures its stunning surroundings, and it is now on YouTube for everyone to enjoy. View it in HD (1080p) if possible. Please check out my Instagram and Facebook accounts for more photos that I took during my visit to the John o’ Groats
Ta!
