[category]
[title]
Despite all the UK’s spectacular cathedrals, gorgeous coastlines, majestic ancient sites and world-leading cultural hubs, there are a number of lousy British landmarks that somehow attract tens of thousands of tourists who don’t know any better each year. Now, two British attractions have just been named and shamed in the Telegraph’s scathing roundup of Europe’s ‘10 most naff attractions where no discerning tourist would be seen dead’.
One of them was London’s Leicester Square (read all about that here) and the other, which was named the ‘the most undeserving tourist attraction of them all’, was the village of John O’Groats in Scotland.
John O’Groats is a popular tourist spot as it’s widely thought of as mainland Britain’s northernmost point. But the Telegraph’s travel expert Rob Crossan points out that that’s not strictly true. In his savage take down of the landmark, he said: ‘The entire concept of John O’Groats is a lie. It is not, and never has been, the most northerly point on the British mainland. That accolade goes to Dunnet Head a few miles along the road.’
Crossan continued: ‘Persevere with this parvenu excuse of a “must see” and you’ll be “rewarded” with a car park, an inevitably appalling gift shop and a toilet block. But at least you can now take a free picture of the fabled signpost (in previous years you had to pay) which tells you exactly how many miles you are from Land’s End, a similarly dispiriting tourist experience, though with a slightly nicer toilet block.’
Fifteen years ago, John O’Groats was the recipient of the Carbuncle Award, a prize for being the ‘most dismal’ place in Scotland. But it’s undergone several redevelopment and regeneration projects since then.
The village is not just a gift shop, car park and toilet block anymore. After a £4.5 million project, the village recently opened a heritage centre in a historic mill. The new attraction includes real life demonstrations of how the mill would have worked in its prime and guided tours around the facilities. It was also built to host community events such a ceilidhs and film screenings.
Besides the new heritage centre, the village has micro whisky distillery Eight Doors and the John O’Groats Brewery, which both run tours and tasting experiences. And, of course, there are the dramatic views across the North Sea and Atlantic Ocean from the much-walked coastal path.
Need some 2026 travel inspiration? Take a look at Time Out’s guides to the UK’s most beautiful places or best things to do.
Dream job alert: be a ranger on an uninhabited island in the Scottish Highlands.
Plus: The most desirable place to live in Britain right now.
Stay in the loop: sign up to our free Time Out UK newsletter for the latest UK news and the best stuff happening across the country.