View Full Version : John O'Groats development
secrets in symmetry
08-Dec-12, 21:43
I haven't been out to Groats for a long time. How's the new development getting on?
Has the hotel been renovated?
Have the holiday cottages/apartments been built yet?
holiday apartments built and a very expensive tea shop come shop
secrets in symmetry
08-Dec-12, 23:54
Thanks starfish.
What are the apartments like? Are they upmarket or downmarket?
they are not bad but a lot of money for where they are eg no entertainment on site i know you have the pubs ect in groats but once you are a t groats you have to travel to get any where . think a lot more could be down there if you had been to lands end you have a lot more to do we spent a day at lands end . i know that is different in cornwall but a lot more could be done in scotland to get people to come and spend their money help the ecomony ect
linnie612
09-Dec-12, 00:33
http://www.naturalretreats.co.uk/john-o-groats/luxury-self-catering-holiday-residences.php Decide for yourself ...
where was the photos taken in groats on this site its not groats
secrets in symmetry
09-Dec-12, 00:51
where was the photos taken in groats on this site its not groatsYes, that website predates the present by some time. It's all advertising guff.
Duncansby
09-Dec-12, 20:28
they are not bad but a lot of money for where they are eg no entertainment on site i know you have the pubs ect in groats but once you are a t groats you have to travel to get any where . think a lot more could be down there if you had been to lands end you have a lot more to do we spent a day at lands end . i know that is different in cornwall but a lot more could be done in scotland to get people to come and spend their money help the ecomony ect
Thankfully they aren't creating a holiday park! But promoting what is unique about Caithness, natural heritage, culture etc - we sholdn't want tourists coralled in Groats but using it as a base to explore the WHOLE of Caithness! People that want holiday camp entertainments will go to butlins, there is no point building something that people can get anywhere else and spoiling what we do have in the process!
secrets in symmetry
27-Dec-12, 18:34
I'd forgotten about this thread....
Thanks for your post Duncansby - I agree with you absolutely. :cool:
Well I for one like what has been done in John O'Groats, it does provide a nice location to explore Caithness and Sutherland, with day trips to Orkney. The hotel is looking good and the new cafe is very nice, we enjoyed a Sunday light lunch a few weeks ago.
It is sad that many people who visit John O'Groats spend 20 - 30 minutes and then head home without taking the time to explore the beautiful scenery in this area.
Attached a few pictures taken in November / December.
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"Thankfully they aren't creating a holiday park! But promoting what is unique about Caithness, natural heritage, culture etc - we sholdn't want tourists coralled in Groats but using it as a base to explore the WHOLE of Caithness! People that want holiday camp entertainments will go to butlins, there is no point building something that people can get anywhere else and spoiling what we do have in the process!"
Well said! So what has caithness got thats quintesentialy caithnesian, where can tourists go to find out what its all about, and where is it that were sending them to visit, what condition of upkeep are these sites in? and how well promoted are they by advertisemnt and more importantly by local knowledege, (compared to orkney and shetland) cos im sure visiting a multicoloured mishmash of holiday homes and a poorly concieved attempt at a restored castle is gonna give people any idea of the essence of caithness. Orkney jar is a better (tourist freindly) resource on the finer points of the history of caithness than anything ive seen from the county.
Caithness is by and large one large flat featureless peat bog. That is attractive for a small minority. There's no point expecting it to be a tourist mecca - it doesn't have those characteristics to be one. And I'm someone passionate about the county. It won't be an Orkney for the very simple geographical reason that it's not an island and therefore doesn't have that implied charm. The development at Groats is just a blip in the general 'tourism industry' - it just gets more profile because taxpayers' money was thrown at it, so those that granted it have to make it look like it was worth it. If the county is to be 'put on the map' then it will have more chance by encouraging things like surfing or game shooting.
But promoting what is unique about Caithness, natural heritage, culture etc Really? I've just had a look at their website. The main image promoting John O'Groats is of.....Orkney! Of the other four images, one is of Caithness, another is of Orkney, there's one of some green wooded rolling hills that could well be England, and final one of a random seal. And to think public money paid for this.
rogermellie
29-Dec-12, 17:38
there's one of some green wooded rolling hills that could well be England
you mean this one ?
https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/nrwebcontent/img/galleries/john-o-groats/location/008.jpg
taking artistic licence a bit far although could be a genuine mistake :confused
secrets in symmetry
29-Dec-12, 19:20
you mean this one ?
https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/nrwebcontent/img/galleries/john-o-groats/location/008.jpg
taking artistic licence a bit far although could be a genuine mistake :confused
That photo looks as if it could have been taken at any of one a hundred places in Scotland. As Slickly says, it could even be in England....
Which beach is featured in the top photo on this Natural Retreats web page (http://www.naturalretreats.co.uk/john-o-groats/luxury-self-catering-holiday-residences.php)? I thought it was Reiss Beach at first, but now I'm not sure....
Reiss looking towards Keiss methinks.
you mean this one ?
https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/nrwebcontent/img/galleries/john-o-groats/location/008.jpg
taking artistic licence a bit far although could be a genuine mistake :confused
look close at the pic and you'll see a 13' low bridge sign.....not seen many of those in Caithness
Caithness needs promoting as one of the last places you can be alone, one of the last places where you can be truly quiet and peaceful. The amazing 180 degree skies and the biodiversity of the county are all selling points but it is a select market and will not be the popular tourist destination that lands end is. The stark beauty of the flow country and the coastline is different than anywhere else I think. Spruce up the town centres, encourage artists and creative people to do their stuff, encourage high quality food and accommodation and as has already been said, surfing and shooting type stuff and who knows.
cptdodger
30-Dec-12, 15:49
you mean this one ?
https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/nrwebcontent/img/galleries/john-o-groats/location/008.jpg
taking artistic licence a bit far although could be a genuine mistake :confused
If you look at the website I think they are using this photo in the context of the "end to end" so, basically that photo could have been taken anywhere between Lands End and here.
secrets in symmetry
30-Dec-12, 19:12
Reiss looking towards Keiss methinks.Thanks Torvaig. That's what I thought, then I realised it resembled any one of a large number of beaches - on the west coast (anywhere from NW Sutherland down to Machrihanish), or perhaps on the Western Isles.
If you look at the website I think they are using this photo in the context of the "end to end" so, basically that photo could have been taken anywhere between Lands End and here.The photo is indeed on one page where end-to-end is mentioned, but it's on at least two pages where the clear implication is that it refers to cycling in (or around) John O'Groats.
Does anyone know where this photo was taken?
cptdodger
31-Dec-12, 00:40
I have sent them (Natural Retreats) an e mail asking where the picture was taken, it's easier than guessing. I will let you know if they get back to me.
secrets in symmetry
31-Dec-12, 00:53
I have sent them (Natural Retreats) an e mail asking where the picture was taken, it's easier than guessing. I will let you know if they get back to me.Good plan! Thanks for doing that.
The heading photo for Natural Retreats (John O'Groats) is definitely Reiss and Keiss beaches. Focus on the blue sliver of Wester Loch high on the left of the picture and then pan to the right slowly and you will see the Auchorn farmhouse and then further right and at the north end of the bay is the village of Keiss.
Will be interesting to see where the cycling picture comes in; the best I can think of is the beautiful winding single track Strath road (with many passing places) which goes south to Helmsdale alongside the river but would not bet my life on it..... with photoshop etc., anything can happen!
secrets in symmetry
31-Dec-12, 17:49
Aha! I didn't spot the Wester Loch. The other beach photo looks like Dunnet Beach.
I see what you mean about the scenery looking like the Strath near Helmsdale, but the hills don't look quite right to me.
Aha! I didn't spot the Wester Loch. The other beach photo looks like Dunnet Beach.
I see what you mean about the scenery looking like the Strath near Helmsdale, but the hills don't look quite right to me.
I agree with Dunnet Beach; you can see Dwarick House/House of the Northern Gate) on the headland and the small fisherman's cottage below.
secrets in symmetry
31-Dec-12, 18:04
I agree with Dunnet Beach; you can see Dwarick House/House of the Northern Gate) on the headland.Yes, that's why I was sufficiently confident to stick my head above water.
Yes, that's why I was sufficiently confident to stick my head above water. Oh, I didn't see your head sticking above the water.....sorry....;)
secrets in symmetry
31-Dec-12, 19:36
Oh, I didn't see your head sticking above the water.....sorry....;)I wasn't there for long - the water was freezing!
cptdodger
03-Jan-13, 12:08
I have sent them (Natural Retreats) an e mail asking where the picture was taken, it's easier than guessing. I will let you know if they get back to me.
I have just had an e mail back from Natural Retreats - https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/nrwebcontent/img/galleries/john-o-groats/location/008.jpg
The shot is from Peebles, Scottish Borders. It’s just a cycling stock photo used to depict E2E which JoG is renowned for.
I have just had an e mail back from Natural Retreats - https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/nrwebcontent/img/galleries/john-o-groats/location/008.jpg
The shot is from Peebles, Scottish Borders. It’s just a cycling stock photo used to depict E2E which JoG is renowned for.
Good to know cpt., it is a bonnie photo.....
secrets in symmetry
03-Jan-13, 18:43
I have just had an e mail back from Natural Retreats - https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/nrwebcontent/img/galleries/john-o-groats/location/008.jpg
The shot is from Peebles, Scottish Borders. It’s just a cycling stock photo used to depict E2E which JoG is renowned for.I thought it might be the Borders.
Thanks for sorting this out. :cool:
cptdodger
03-Jan-13, 19:03
No problem, I was quite interested to find out myself because I thought it looked similar to a place in the Yorkshire Dales I used to go through. Shows you how far out I was !
just been on the site look at booking 6 nights for 4 people 1st july quote £720 its a lot of money for where it is
secrets in symmetry
03-Jan-13, 22:59
No problem, I was quite interested to find out myself because I thought it looked similar to a place in the Yorkshire Dales I used to go through. Shows you how far out I was !I thought it looked like the upper Tweed valley north of Tweedsmuir, but the road was wrong. Perhaps it's on the back road between there and Peebles.
just been on the site look at booking 6 nights for 4 people 1st july quote £720 its a lot of money for where it isThe price is the same for 6 (or 2) people, presumably because you pay for a 3-bedroomed residence for a week in each case. That's not so expensive for July, especially since the residences look fairly upmarket.
Southern-Gal
04-Jan-13, 10:59
If you divide the amount by six people then it works out reasonable especially when you see what you get for your money. All you need to buy is your food and even then there is a little hamper put in for new arrivals. Tea and coffee are also included. There is everything you need to live there including luxuries like PS3 broadband and alsorts of other mod cons.
Have you been in for a look around?
ok then.....sad as i am and with untold wealth of resources and no real life other than in front of a computer, i have found the actual spot where the photo of the two cyclists was taken. It isn't in Peebles although it isn't far off.
for those that may be interested, heres the map ref 55.60568,-3.37376. just type it into google earth or google maps and it will show you the spot
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secrets in symmetry
05-Jan-13, 00:11
Wow! You have much more patience than I! :cool:
I was at least in the right ballpark. I thought I recognised the pointy hill in the photo, which is close to the A701, and not too far from Tweedsmuir.
Thank you again for your patience and perseverance. :cool:
secrets in symmetry
13-Jan-13, 15:48
Natural Retreats are recruiting - for staff at Groats (http://forum.caithness.org/showthread.php?195235-Natural-retreats-%96-john-o%92groats-recruiting-now)
Sounds good! :cool:
Caithness needs promoting as one of the last places you can be alone, one of the last places where you can be truly quiet and peaceful. The amazing 180 degree skies and the biodiversity of the county are all selling points but it is a select market and will not be the popular tourist destination that lands end is. The stark beauty of the flow country and the coastline is different than anywhere else I think. Spruce up the town centres, encourage artists and creative people to do their stuff, encourage high quality food and accommodation and as has already been said, surfing and shooting type stuff and who knows.
I've been looking into why people come here to Caithness, number one I found through trawling the internet bloggers was untouched wilderness, next was archeology and big skys all the wildlife etc. Untouched wilderness will be null and void when we get the ret of these windmills that are in planning/ scoping etc.
I don't think many people realise what they have here. We are in danger of sacrificing the main attraction in order a few greedy people can get money for nothing.
You mentioned people come here for the unspoilt countryside. It has been spoilt because of man. Firstly the forests that have been planed has destroyed what was here. The trees planted were not even native trees. They were put there for tax purposes for rich people down south. At least the local communities are getting money from these turbines.
Dounreay & area will never be a safe area again. Will take millions of years before that is returned to what it was, if ever. As soon as man arrives he changes the environment that he lives in.
secrets in symmetry
16-Feb-13, 14:18
More good news for the tourist industry at Groats.
Funding boost to turn Groats mill into tourist haunt
by Gordon Calder
Historic Scotland has awarded a grant to the John O'Groats mill.
AN 18th century Caithness mill is to get a grant of over £200,000 from Historic Scotland.
The John O’Groats mill is one of six historic sites in Scotland to get funding and will receive £221, 316 from a total grant package of £587,049.
The mill – believed to be the last mill in Caithness to retain its working machinery – was originally built as a threshing mill in 1750 and was rebuilt in 1901 as a corn mill. Between the 16th and 19th centuries, Caithness was known for its corn production and exported meal to ports across Scotland and the rest of Europe.
Read the whole article in the Groat (http://www.johnogroat-journal.co.uk/News/Funding-boost-to-turn-Groats-mill-into-tourist-haunt-15022013.htm)
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