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starry
04-May-09, 12:46
I see on the new's it is to have a revamp.

What would you change ?

Gizmo
04-May-09, 12:56
Mmmm, a slight case of deja vu here, heard it all before, many times.

Rie
04-May-09, 13:04
Again !! lol how much revamping can groats take?? needs a serious overhaul to make it worth visiting.
Every one i know whos been has been very underwhelmed and as much as i love caithness and call it home ,i find J.O.G an embarrassment .

sevenfortyseven
04-May-09, 13:15
Again !! lol how much revamping can groats take?? needs a serious overhaul to make it worth visiting.
Every one i know whos been has been very underwhelmed and as much as i love caithness and call it home ,i find J.O.G an embarrassment .

i agree groats is embarrasing - tourists are always coming back from there laughing about how rubbish it is

Fluff
04-May-09, 13:18
what do you think would improve it?

sevenfortyseven
04-May-09, 13:22
not sure - i would hope someone at visit scotland would go out with thier clip board and do some market research:eek:

starry
04-May-09, 13:24
what do you think would improve it?

Yes this is what I wanted to know, what do people here think would improve it ?

Gizmo
04-May-09, 13:25
what do you think would improve it?

A better weather climate for starters :D

Rie
04-May-09, 13:26
less "gift shops" a nice hotel, the sign to be free to take your own photos at with the choice of paying a professional photographer, more area information and history , the only good things about J o G are the foot ferry to Orkney and the wild life cruses!

Amy-Winehouse
04-May-09, 17:38
I was up there 3 weeks ago for the first time this year, usually a yearly drive around the county & there wasnt really much to do, its sparsely populated so are some people expecting just a little bit too much?

It was the first time Id noticed the JOG hotel was shut!!!:eek: OMG what a state that building has gone into, I was shocked, as I walked around the pier I happened to look at it & saw the tiles were falling off & there was a big perimeter fence to keep folk out!! Such a shame for the old place, Ive had a few pints there before going over the water in the past. I didnt know it was closed, shows how often Im in JOG.

Im not really sure how you could improve JOG, but it definatley needs fresh ideas but in the current financial climate , Id guess there was very little chance of anything happening in JOG

Tristan
04-May-09, 19:04
Having been to both I think more could be made of the local walks (Duncansby Head (sp)). In addition Lands End has a great video played at speed of a drive along the full length with a poem that narrates it as it plays. It was great fun to watch. I also think there would be potential to have one of those earth scopes (like the one built between London and New York) to connect the two places. I know it is a simple internet video link but it would be fun. You could even have a second screen showing past messages (for those times when not to many are around.

starry
04-May-09, 19:12
Having been to both I think more could be made of the local walks (Duncansby Head (sp)). In addition Lands End has a great video played at speed of a drive along the full length with a poem that narrates it as it plays. It was great fun to watch. I also think there would be potential to have one of those earth scopes (like the one built between London and New York) to connect the two places. I know it is a simple internet video link but it would be fun. You could even have a second screen showing past messages (for those times when not to many are around.


Oh that is a brilliant idea !

northener
04-May-09, 19:13
Amy, although the bar area was still OK in the JOG hotel, but the rest of the building was falling into a seriously bad state of repair. So Heritage GB (the owners) decided to close the bar down to protect their employees who had to go into the hotel area.

They have opened up another of their buildings as a caff/bistro next to the hotel on the roundabout. And very nice it is too. A credit.


Now, before we get the usual ranting about the sign - lets get the facts straight:

It is owned as a private business venture by the people who own the sign at Lands End.

It has NEVER been a 'public area' and it NEVER existed prior to an enterprising businessman seeing a gap in the market.

So shut up you lot before you even start.....



What would I change? The whole layout.

Whoever designed the original workshop/craft units and car park area wants dragging out and shooting. If you talk to anyone who has experience in Seaside tourist trade, they will tell you that punters gravitate towards the seafront when they get out of their vehicles - NOT away from it.[disgust]

It should have been built the other way around. So that visitors arrive in the car park and then have no alternative but to walk through the craft workshop courtyard before arriving at the harbour. Result.


As for negative comments from some visitors - I can counter that with an equal number of positive comments from people who don't expect to see amusement arcades, bingo, Mickey Duck and a nightclub.....but JOG definitely needs sorting out.

starry
04-May-09, 19:21
I would hate it if it ended up Mickey Moused ;)

I went up with friends a few weeks ago, we had brilliant time on the North Marine boat, but the rest was a wee bit of a let down and the only reason I would ever take anyone there is if they wanted to go out on the boat.



They have opened up another of their buildings as a caff/bistro next to the hotel on the roundabout. And very nice it is too. A credit.

I wish I had known this before I went to the Costa place. The service was awful, only one member of staff was even remotely pleasant.
One actually snapped at everyone in the queue because it was going the wrong way.
Had I known there was somewhere else I would have just left then.

neepnipper
04-May-09, 21:26
I wish the tv folk would get their facts straight, they said JOG was the most northernly point on the British mainland, it's not, Dunnet Head is, and they said there was no where to stay and there is a hotel and several b & b's in JOG, I bet the owners of those business's were fuming, I would be.

joxville
04-May-09, 21:36
I see on the new's it is to have a revamp.

What would you change ?


A better weather climate for starters :D

I'd attach a few tow ropes and some tugs then turn the country 180 degrees-that would sort the climate out. I'm sure the better weather would then bring in the tourists making the place profitable again.

Sorted. :cool:

Kenn
04-May-09, 22:01
I agree, only go there for the wildife trips and the odd photo shoot.
Years ago there used to be a man who gave a talk, pointing out the various islands ,giving their names and a potted history of Stroma which was very interesting.
I'm not sure what would improve the area but some thing definitely needs to be done it's depressing and although I would not like to see it turned into the crass commercial site that is Land's End there is certainly room for improvement.
How about a dedicated building with information on the surrounding area , it's natural history, geology etc.? Some thing along the lines of The RSPB site at Forsinard.
A gallery where folk could sell items hand made in Caithness,I've bought some great things over the years but have had to hunt to find them which is a shame as there are alot of artists and crafting people in the county.
An observatory with telescopes for those who want to try spotting a whale, dolphin, seals and the birds.
Do some thing about the derelict hotel, give a safe access for those who want to go Groatie hunting and may be a coastal path for the more energic.

Can't think of much else!

neepnipper
04-May-09, 22:22
The old Viking Centre is being done up in Auckengill, to be called The Broch Centre when finished, why on earth didn't they keep it as The Viking Centre and put it in JOG, makes more sense to me.

Gizmo
04-May-09, 22:30
I'd attach a few tow ropes and some tugs then turn the country 180 degrees-that would sort the climate out. I'm sure the better weather would then bring in the tourists making the place profitable again.

Sorted. :cool:

Mmmmmmm, not sure i fancy living so close to France :D and would that mean i'd be English?, i think J'O'G is fine just the way it is, the consequences of your plan could be way too traumatic for your average Caithnesian :lol:

joxville
04-May-09, 22:43
Mmmmmmm, not sure i fancy living so close to France :D and would that mean i'd be English?, i think J'O'G is fine just the way it is, the consequences of your plan could be way too traumatic for your average Caithnesian :lol:

Think how much cheaper it would be to get wine...and you could pop over to the France for a day trip too, plus postage and oil would be cheaper because Scotland would be closer to the continent and the larger shipping areas.

Gizmo
04-May-09, 22:48
Think how much cheaper it would be to get wine...and you could pop over to the France for a day trip too, plus postage and oil would be cheaper because Scotland would be closer to the continent and the larger shipping areas.

So after nearly 18 months of sobriety you wanna put me within spitting distance of cheap froggy wine?....you bad bad man :lol:

joxville
04-May-09, 22:58
So after nearly 18 months of sobriety you wanna put me within spitting distance of cheap froggy wine?....you bad bad man :lol:

You can lead a horse to water.........:D

Gizmo
05-May-09, 07:06
You can lead a horse to water.........:D

Ah well, it's not the first time i've been compared to a horse ;) :lol:

Amy-Winehouse
05-May-09, 10:58
The old Viking Centre is being done up in Auckengill, to be called The Broch Centre when finished, why on earth didn't they keep it as The Viking Centre and put it in JOG, makes more sense to me.


If its someone from Auckengill that owns it, maybe they dont want to move to JOG? but then Id say viking centre was a better name than Broch centre also. Tourists have to pass through Auckengill to get to Groats so it has potential...:confused

neepnipper
05-May-09, 11:19
I believe it's the council that owns it and are spending a fortune doing it up, just think it's better to have something like that in Groats, and I agree The Viking Centre sounds much more exciting than The Broch Centre.

cuddlepop
05-May-09, 12:08
I remember the first time we went up to Caithness and visited John O Groates and were disappointed when we saw what was there.For such a beaitiful location there's very little that would entice us back up so far.

northener
06-May-09, 09:29
The old Viking Centre at Auckengill has been closed for a couple of years. It's apity as I thought it was quite interesting. The new centre is going to be a 'Broch Interpretation Centre'. I was speaking to a guy on the project management side of things a couple of weeks back. It sounds like it should be quite interesting. And given the amount of brochs in the immediate vicinity it is a sensible place to have it.

However, I do agree that we are missing a trick here. If the council was to open a Viking Heritage Centre in the vacant unit at Groats (at least I think it still is vacant), it would certainly add to Groats appeal. Also bearing in mind Eric the Viking already looms large in that location.:Razz

Rheghead
06-May-09, 21:48
A small brewery with a viewing facility might be interesting. John O'Groat Ale sounds nice and will have a ready sales outlet at the hotel.

Caithness needs its own brand real ale.:~(