John O Groats

[starry]

I see on the new's it is to have a revamp.

What would you change ?

[Gizmo]

Mmmm, a slight case of deja vu here, heard it all before, many times.

[Rie]

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]

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]

what do you think would improve it?

[sevenfortyseven]

not sure - i would hope someone at visit scotland would go out with thier clip board and do some market research

[starry]

what do you think would improve it?

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

[Gizmo]

what do you think would improve it?

A better weather climate for starters

[Rie]

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]

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!!! 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]

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]

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]

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.

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]

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]

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]

I see on the new's it is to have a revamp.

What would you change ?

A better weather climate for starters

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.

[Kenn]

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]

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]

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.

Mmmmmmm, not sure i fancy living so close to France 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

[joxville]

Mmmmmmm, not sure i fancy living so close to France 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

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.