The restoration of the iconic former John O’Groats Hotel is part of Natural Retreats’ multi-million pound regeneration of this stunningly picturesque natural wilderness in Caithness in the North of Scotland.

Originally built in 1875, the iconic former hotel in John O’Groats has been carefully restored over the past two years and has had a new Norse style extension added which provides a dramatic splash of colour against the coastal landscape.

The interior combines high quality old and new styling in keeping with the marriage of the historic former hotel and the eye catching new extension.

The Inn boasts bespoke self-catering apartments with 1, 2 or 4 bedrooms, each offering its own individual character and all of the high quality facilities and luxuries you would expect

from Natural Retreats. This apartment style accommodation will cater for those completing the famous Lands’ End to John O’Groats ‘End to End’ Challenge. Natural Retreats is currently working hard to enhance to End to End experience along with Heritage GB. All of the apartments feature modern kitchen/living areas, stylish bedrooms and bathrooms and a variety of windows providing guests with

vantage points to enjoy far-reaching views of the dramatic John O’Groats coastal

scenery across the Pentland Firth onto Stroma and the Orkneys, some of the most breath-taking coastal views in Scotland.

West facing rooms are treated to spectacular sunset views. As with all Natural

Retreats properties, the Inn at John O’Groats has been sensitively developed keeping sustainability front of mind. Local craftsmen using locally sourced materials, such as Caithness stone and Scottish Larch timber, have been used wherever possible.

The opening of the Inn at John O’Groats is part of Natural Retreats’ important £6 million regeneration project in the area along with partners Heritage GB and Highlands and Island Enterprise.

This huge investment has seen the creation of 23 luxury residences here, designed in the same award-winning style of the Yorkshire Dales properties, a co-operative Storehouse café selling produce and goods from local businesses and a brand new activity and retail Outfitters centre where visitors can book a range of activities such as a sea safari, scuba-diving and guided walks, as well as purchase equipment, clothing and supplies for outdoor pursuits.

NATURAL RETREATS JOHN O’GROATS

SPECIAL EDITION

NATURALRETREATS.COM2013

Dramatic restoration of iconic hotel complete

Interiors at the Inn at John O’Groats. Top to bottom: Harbour Library, apartment living space, Jan de Groot Suite.

Natural Retreats is delighted to announceThe Inn at John O’Groats is open for business.

JOHN O’GROATS NEWS

The history of theInn at John O’Groats

~

The original building at John O’Groats was an ancient house believed to be situated to the east of the present building in front of the Storehouse.

This was originally marked with a flagpole which has now been removed. The house was the home of Dutchman Jan de Groot and his family, originally from Holland, said to have settled here about 1489, who obtained a grant for the ferry from the Scottish mainland to Orkney which was acquired from Norway, from James IV, King of Scots, in 1496. Jan de Groot ran a ferry to Orkney and charged 2p a trip. The coin for this denomination became known as the ‘groat’. Over a period of time the name Jan de Groot has subsequently changed to John O’Groats.

The house was of an octagon shape, being one room, with eight windows and eight doors, to admit eight members of the family; the heads of different branches of

it, to prevent their quarrels for precedence at table. Each came in by this contrivance at his own door, and sat at an octagon table, at which, of course, there was no chief place or head.

The previous incarnation of the John O’Groats Hotel was completed in 1875 and now forms the White Toft of the Inn. One of the men who built the original building was Mr Alexander Dunnet, the great-grandfather of Anne Dunnet (the Lord Lieutenant of Caithness). A picture of the Dunnet family, including Alexander and Anne, can be seen in the reception area of the main entrance.

Sadly the original Hotel fell into decline and in 2010 Natural Retreats along with its partner Heritage GB Plc began a journey to restore the building to its former glory by transforming it to create high quality, sustainable holiday accommodation.

2

NATURALRETREATS.COM

The Residences at John O’Groats, which opened in August 2012, designed in the style of Natural Retreat’s award-winning Yorkshire Dales properties.

Before and after, the Residences.

The challenge faced when master-planning the site was to respect the existing landscape whilst enhancing the experience of our guests. The location of each Residence has been carefully thought through in order to maximise the stunning views wherever possible. Natural Retreats also set about creating ‘bunds’ – mounds of landscaped earth - in order to maintain an element of privacy as well as acting a natural wind breaker.

Now fully grown, these bunds have become an integral feature to the Retreat, sympathetic to the natural landscape. The bunds are shaped, dressed by seeding with a grass and seasonal wildflower mix along with Gorse planting. This is preferred to turfing as this avoids the need to transport turf and ensures a more consistent and appealing finish when mixed with wildflower.

The roofs of the residences are insulated and watertight and have been dressed with Natural Retreats’ own brand of living roofs. These living roofs consist of a unique sedum and wildflower mix bound within layers of matting made from recycled clothing. The finished roofs will provide additional layers of insulation, a colourful blend of sedum and wildflower across the year and most importantly a replacement of the habitat covered by the footprint of the building. The living roofs are low

maintenance and provide further evidence of Natural Retreats’ whole hearted commitment to sustainability.

The Natural Retreats Residences have been designed in the style of the award-winning luxury properties at their Yorkshire Dales site and have

been underpinned by strong sustainable principles with the use of locally sourced materials such as Caithness stone, Scottish Larch timber and sedum roofs. Modern, open-plan living including a huge expanse of glass allows the magnificence of the natural surroundings to be as much a part of the luxury experience as the exquisite attention to detail showcased in the interiors.

Natural Retreats worked alongside architect firm GLM on both the Residences and the Inn at John O’Groats.

The landscape of the Residences site prior to Natural Retreats’ arrival in 2010 was of a typical North Highlands field used for grazing livestock and as such contained few vertical features.~

The location of each Residence has been carefully thought through in order to maximise the stunning views wherever possible.

3

The RESIDENCES at John O’GroatsTHEN AND NOW }

Located on the most northern coast of the UK, Natural Retreats John O’Groats is situated amongst some of the most sensational and extreme landscapes combining awe-inspiring coastal stacks, dramatic cliffs, forests and white sandy beaches. From this most northerly tip of Scotland it’s also possible to catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights! Brimming with wildlife, guests can expect to see the largest population of Harbour and Grey seals and an array of birdlife including Guillemot, Kittiwakes and most famously Puffins. Forget indoor aquariums, the coast of John O’Groats is home to the ocean’s most

beautiful sea creatures including minke whales, dolphins, porpoises, basking sharks and even killer whales. Just two weeks after opening the first phase of the redevelopment a pod of 14 killer whales visited John O’Groats and were hunting seals just 200 yards from the Inn.

The views from the Inn look out across the Pentland Firth and Atlantic Ocean towards the Orkney Islands and Stroma. Stroma is the nearest Island and all others behind are the southern islands of Orkney.

Keep an eye out for wildlife here - the water plays host to many sea creatures, including Orca (killer)

whales and Grey seals. Stroma is a mainland island and not part of the Orkney collective, which includes over 70 islands, 20 of which are uninhabited. The name Stroma originates from the Norse ‘Straumey’ meaning “island in the stream” or “current”.

Once having a population of 550, this uninhabited island is now owned by a Caithness farmer who grazes sheep there. Stroma is about 3.5 kilometres long by 1.5 kilometres wide. Stroma’s last inhabitants left in 1962 after the completion of the harbour.

Originally the harbour was supposed to encourage people there; instead it served as a better way for people to vacate.

The construction of the Dounreay power station on the mainland (thirty miles west from here) led to islanders leaving in search of work, starting a slow decline in inhabitants.

The Pentland Firth lies in the channel between the island

of Stroma and the north easterly tip of the Scottish mainland and encompasses almost 3.5km2 of fast flowing water.

A speed of 16 knots (30 km/h) has been reported close west of Pentland Skerries. The force of the tides gives rise to overfalls and tidal races which can occur at different stages of the tide.

The potential economic significance of the tidal currents in the Pentland Firth is great. It has been described as the “Saudi Arabia of tidal power”.

MeyGen Limited, a development company and project sponsor, has secured an Agreement for Lease from The Crown Estate for the seabed within the area of water called the Inner Sound, just to the west of John O’Groats. Their goal is to deliver a fully operational, 398MW totally submerged renewable energy plant powered purely by the tide, generating the equivalent electricity to power 40,000 Scottish homes by 2020.

JOHN O’GROATS NEWS

4

John O’Groats has some of the most amazing wildlife and natural beauty so was the ideal spot

for the next Natural Retreats venture, who have worked hard alongside key partners such as Highlands and Islands Enterprise, The Highland

Council, Heritage GB Plc and members of the local community to help John O’Groats establish

itself once more as a tourist destination.

Left-right: Stroma, orca whales and curious seal pup.

As a champion of British manufacturers, it was of great importance to Natural Retreats that the furniture and furnishings were actually made here in Britain, not just designed here.

Naughtone, Another Country, &Then Design, Anta, Original BTC and Davey lighting, as well as a number of specially commissioned and bespoke designed pieces make up the collection at the Residences, which is 94% British sourced. In the near future, guests will be able to purchase some of this bespoke, quality British furniture from Natural Retreats.

British brand Dualit is featured throughout the kitchen and Steelite, made in Stoke-on-trent, provides the full crockery collection. Anorak punctuates the offering with some wonderful coasters, place mats and children’s items, which can also be purchased at the Outfitters store.

The Inn at John O’Groats has been designed with the same ethos as the residences; an all British

designed and manufactured offering with a special focus on Scottish makers.

NoChintz and Natural Retreats have worked with leading British designers Naughone to modify and re-create a collection of sofas for the Inn, utilising little details such as Anta buttons as well as a number of bespokely made Octagon stools for

the Harbour Library, as wellas dining chairs, seat pads and cubes. Fully upholstered Anta walls are featured in the existing part ofthe Inn.

The stable collective remains with the likes of award winning names, Another Country, Pottinger & Cole, &Then design and Anorak. However, new talent has been included featuring designersJames UK, Design by Alexand Ellen Thomas.

A number of NoChintz (the interior design agency that worked with Natural Retreats on the interiors at John O’Groats) bespoke creations have been introduced including a specially made bed for the penthouse which was upholstered entirely in Harris Tweed.

All of the lighting has been designed by NoChintz in collaboration with a British lighting manufacture to include a five metre chandelier fashioned entirely from Creels (lobster pots) that were made bespoke in specific colour ways from a local supplier,

all handmade in W ick. Other features include a chandelier made from ‘found’ Scottish antlers and rope lights, knotted by a local fisherman onsite.

As per Natural Retreats’ standard the mattresses are all British made with 1400 springs - ensuring the best night’s sleep ever! Kitchenware again features British made Dualit and all crockery and woodwareis sourced fromUK manufacturersT&G Woodware.

Joinery items such as bookcases and AV units are made by Local Ashley Anne and all way finding in the Inn has been hand painted by two artists with a specially designed font for the space which has been named ‘ Whale Tail’, a nod to the fantastic sea life around the coastof John O’Groats.

BRITISH&

SCOTTISHDESIGNERS

Proudly supporting

NATURALRETREATS.COM

5

Natural Retreats have worked with key British

designers to create a unique interior offering in the

Residences and the Inn atJohn O’Groats.

LIGHTINGA chandelier light designed using lobster pots, hand-crafted in Wick, adorns the Inn foyer.

SIGNAGESignage within the Inn has been hand-painted by a British artist, showcasing a unique ‘Whale Tail’ font, look closely - the fl icks are tails!

BESPOKEA bespoke John O’Groats hanger can be found in every bedroom.

The Outfitters buildingwas built in the late 18thCentury, however the exactdate is not known.

Although two extensions have since been added over the years, the original stone work can still be seen throughout. Timber from ship wrecks was also built into the walls, as it was far lighter and easier to shape than stone. This too can still be seen today.

Often mistaken as a croft house, the building was actually known as a “cottars”. A cottar was usually the head of a landless family, although a small selection of vegetables were grown by the north east exterior of the building.

The house was lived in by several generations of Sinclair’s and Sutherland’s, two famous Scottish clans, and was inhabited by Mrs Maggie Mowat until 1962.

Scottish clans give a sense of identity and shared descent to people in Scotland and to their relations throughout the world, with a formal structure of Clan Chiefs recognised by the court of the Lord Lyon, King of Arms which acts as an authority concerning matters of heraldry and Coat of Arms.

Most clans have their own tartan patterns, usually dating from the 19th century, and members of the clan may wear kilts, plaids, sashes, ties, scarves, or other items of clothing

made of the appropriate tartan as a badge of membership and as a uniform where appropriate.

The Sinclair’s held lands in the north of Scotland, the Orkney Islands, and the Lothians which they

received from the Kings of Scots.The chiefs of the clan were the

Barons of Roslin and later became the Earls of Orkney and the Earls of Caithness.

The Sutherlands traditional territory was located in the region of Sutherland in the Northern Highlands. They were one of the most powerful of the Scottish clans, and the clan seat is at Dunrobin Castle. The chief of the clan was also the powerful Earl of Sutherland.

In the 1960s the building was reopened as a gift shop and stayed this way until 1990 when the rear extension and museum was added.

The wooden building on the left was erected in the early 20’s and is somewhat euphemistically known ‘the bungalow’. It was built to house

hotel chauffeurs/mechanics in the early days of motoring when vehicles were not watertight, nor were most engines very reliable on long runs.

The building stayed this way until 2012 when management was taken over by Natural Retreats as part of the John O’Groats redevelopment program.

Today, Natural Retreats Outfitters provides everything needed for a range of outdoor activities, helping guests with equipment, clothing and supplies for the wide range of activities available at John O’Groats.

Whether you prefer speeding around the coast on a boat ride

whilst taking in the marine life, or melting away the stress and strains of everyday life with spa treatments, a Natural Retreats holiday at John O’Groats lets you explore and discover the spectacular beauty of Caithness. Guests can book activities before their trip through Natural Retreats’ Concierge service or during

their stay at the Outfitters.Activities are abundant in John

O’Groats! Join the Natural Explorer boat ride for a sea safari around the coastline where you might see migrating orca and minkie whales as well as grey seals, porpoises and dolphins; head inland for a spot of ‘geocaching’ – a modern day treasure hunt using GPS to discover hidden beaches, abandoned piers and the wonders of nature away from the usual tourist spots; pick up a rod and try your hand at sea angling or head to the lochs for some sublime trout fishing; and a visit to John O’Groats wouldn’t be complete without taking to walking trails and exploring this

spectacular landscapeon foot.

Natural Retreats guides are able to arrange a host of walks taking in the amazing Duncansby Stacks, a magnificent rock sea stack and the incredible Shell Beach, made entirely of broken sea shells. The Outfitters also offers bike hire, wreck dives, scuba-diving, clay-pigeon shooting, horse-riding and even whisky appreciation

sessions. Stocking everything you could need for a holiday exploring the great outdoors, Natural Retreats Outfitters includes equipment and clothing from top British brands such as Hunter, Musto, Spraywayand Highland 2000.

Thy music is the

‘Loud bursting over rocks and

sands’JAMES TRAILL CALDER,

‘THE BROKEN HEART’

JOHN O’GROATS NEWS

6

HELPING VISITORS EXPLORE THE BEAUTY OF CAITHNESS: NATURAL OUTFITTERS

Pentland’s roar

NATURALRETREATS.COM

7

Natural Retreats Outfitters provides

everything needed for a range of outdoor

activities

Before Natural Retreats’ arrival in 2010 the Storehouse was known as ‘Journey’s End cafe’ and was reminiscent of a portable cabin with very few design features.

Natural Retreats removed the original building and created a unique building boasting kitchen facilities, wood-burning fires and floor-to-ceiling glass windows, looking out over the Harbour.

As part of the regeneration project, Natural Retreats worked hard to aid sustainability in the local economy in conjunction with the Storehouse offering.

The Storehouse is an on-site co-operative shop and café selling local produce and

goods from businesses such as Caithness Smokehouse, Arran Cheese, Reid’s of Caithness, Old Pulteney Malt Scotch Whisky and Annie’s Bakery in Canisbay. It also serves Starbucks coffee; ensuring visitors have access to delicious food and beverages whilst enjoying fantastic sea-

views. Every Natural

Retreats guest receives a complimentary welcome hamper on arrival which contains items such as freshly baked bread,

speciality cheese and wine. Local businesses were used to source these items at Natural Retreats John O’Groats.

DELICIOUS LOCAL PRODUCE AT NATURAL RETREATS STOREHOUSE

JOHN O’GROATS NEWS

8 Printed at The Guardian Print Centre, Longbridge Road, Trafford Park, Manchester M17 2SN