"John O' Groats - No, Surrounding Coast - YES!" Top 5 Page for this destination John O'Groats by nickandchris

John O'Groats Travel Guide: 16 reviews and 60 photos

The derelict John o'Groats Hotel - John O'Groats

What Has Become Of John O' Groats???

We weren't going to stop at John o'Groats, knowing it would be too touristy for our liking but in the end, we had to as we were passing directly by it.

Our overall impression was of a huge carpark, lots of souvenir shops, fast food outlets and hundreds of foreigners. I guess this place is like a magnet to them, they have to be able to say they have been here!

There is a signpost with various worldwide destinations and their mileage from John o'Groats but please note, if you wish to photogragh it, you will have to pay! and it is taken down at night time so you can't sneak a photo then (walk down to the harbour and there is another one that is free!)

The large John o'Groats hotel is a strange sight here, derelict but with vivid murals painted all over. I thought it rather out of place but then maybe not with all the other tourist tat on offer.

The nicest feature here is the harbour where fishing boats still work from and pleasure trips leave for Stroma and to view the sealife. Ferries also depart for Orkney from here and there is a seperate carpark for customers.

This page's tips are about the places nearby we visited.

Pros and Cons

Pros:Free car park!!
Cons:Over-hyped and over commercialised.
In a nutshell:Nothing worth seeing apart from views of Stroma.

Last visit to John O'Groats: Aug 2011
Intro Updated Sep 8, 2011
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Reviews (5)

Freswick Bay. Off The Beaten Path (2)

This beautiful wild bay was completely unexpected - on the way back from Skirza at the end of the road, I noticed a dirt... more travel advice

Minke whale skull outside Skirza House. - John O'Groats

Meeting The Friendly Locals at Skirza. Off The Beaten Path (2)

Whilst camped at Nybster, we took the motorbike along to Skirza, down to the pier. This is in fact another of those... more travel advice

Stroma Island from Gills Bay. - John O'Groats

Gill's Bay. Things to Do (3)

Out and about on the motorbike, we called into Gills Bay. This is quite a large, industrial type harbour where ferries... more travel advice

A great example of a geo, at Duncansby Head. - John O'Groats

Geo's, Cliffs And Birds At Duncansby. Things to Do (3)

I had never heard of a geo before but now,once seen, never forgotten! There are so many of these deep inlets that have... more travel advice

Comments (3)

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spidermiss Feb 24, 2012 at 2:21 PM

Great tips:D I'm planning John O'Groats next year...going to Land's End this year and probably pay for the privilege and proof :O
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ranger49 Sep 9, 2011 at 3:35 PM

Your depiction of John O'Groats reminded me of a return visit I made not so many years ago to Land's End. Gone was the wild, wind swept scenes I remembered from the early 1960s. Instead massive car parks and souvenir shops. I think it is called progress.
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balhannah Sep 9, 2011 at 3:16 PM

I really like Duncansby Head and the stacks. I bet you took a lot of photo's as it is a very interesting area. Agree with you, the Mural looks out of place on an old building like that, should be on a wall. It is a pity they didn't leave the old building as it, as it spoils it for me. The over side of the view, the Mural looks well done.