The Hotel at John O’Groats.
Not Quite the Inn at the End of the World (with apologies to Douglas Adams!)
Today was something of a disappointment. On several counts. Not least the rain. The first consistently wet day of our Scottish trip. This was the day we were going to John O’Groats!
Spending three nights in Thurso, in theory we could have gone yesterday. Unfortunately, that was Sunday, and no buses run. Which was a shame, because we understand the weather was perfect yesterday.
Today it was wet. And the wind got up. And it was bleak. It is a pity that there is nothing to do in John O’Groats when it is raining. Other than get wet. To be fair, you can browse the shops selling the tat they call souvenirs, or the expensive clothing and craft items. You can even explore the Christmas Shop – yes, even in August!
We had hoped to go on the 90 minute wildlife cruise. Sadly, that was cancelled because of the weather. The waters out there are, apparently, bad enough at the best of times. With the wind whipping up, it was a non-starter.
So, we had a coffee, walked around a bit and got wet. Another disappointment is the fact that John O’Groats is NOT the furthest point north on the mainland. That honour goes to Dunnet Head, which we passed on the way 11 miles to the west. So, we shall have to come back.
The Inn here was built as a Hotel in 1875. It was restored recently, with the intriguing Nordic structures added as a tribute to the influence in the area. The village is named after a Jan de Groot, a dutchman who operated a ferry from here to the Orkneys, newly acquired from Norway. He charged a fare of 4d, which is believed to have given rise to the term “Groat” for the coin and also the village name.
Photograph Details:
- Taken: 14 Aug 2017
- Camera: Olympus OM-D E-M10 MkIIA
- Lens: Olympus 14-42mm 1:3.5-5.6
- Focal Length 116mm
- F/9
- 1/200 Sec
- ISO 200