Nothing about John o' Groats is subtle. It sits at the north-eastern tip of mainland Britain, in the flat, wind-scoured county of Caithness, and the whole point of arriving is to stand at the signpost, which tells you that Land's End is about 874 miles away by road. People get here on bicycles, on foot, on motorbikes, in vintage tractors, and almost all of them have a photograph taken by the same sign. The nearest towns are Wick, twenty-three kilometres south, and Thurso, twenty-seven kilometres west, and both have fuel, supermarkets and places to eat, while the village itself has a harbour, a few shops and cafés and a very full car park in summer.
The name comes from a Dutchman, Jan de Groot, who ran a ferry to Orkney in the fifteenth century, and the story goes that he built an octagonal house with eight doors so that his eight quarrelling sons could each enter by their own and sit at a round table without argument. A summer passenger ferry still crosses the Pentland Firth to Orkney, and on a clear day the islands, particularly Stroma and the hills of Hoy, are plainly visible across the water.
The better scenery is a few kilometres east at Duncansby Head, where a lighthouse stands on cliffs above the sea and a short walk leads to the Stacks of Duncansby, sharp pyramids of sandstone rising out of the surf. In early summer the cliffs are full of seabirds, with puffins among them, and seals are often seen on the rocks below.
The riding here is flat, open and exposed. The A99 from Wick is a fast road with long, straight sections, good surface and very little traffic outside the season, but the wind can be ferocious, and sudden gusts from the Pentland Firth will push a bike sideways. Wear a good layer even in July, as the temperature can drop quickly. In winter, the roads are quiet and the light is remarkable, but daylight is short and ice is possible.
Fill the tank in Wick or Thurso before heading out, since the village is small and there is no guarantee of fuel at the end of the road. After the photograph, spend an hour at Duncansby and have a hot drink before heading back down the coast.