JOHN 0' GROAT'S HOUSE (or, more correctly, it would seem, JOHNNY GROAT'S HorsE), on Dungansby head, the north-eastern extremity of the mainland of Scotland, has been long widely known as marking one of the limits of that country, as in Burns's line: Frae Maidealdrk to Johnny Groat's.
It stood on the beach at the mouth of the Pentland firth, and was probably built for the reception of travelers crossing the ferry to the Orkneys. Tradition gives a more romantic origin. In the reign of king James IV. (1488-1513), three brothers—Malcolm, Gavin, and John Groot or Grot—supposed to be Hollanders, settling in Caithness, acquired the lands of Warse and Dungansby. When their descendants had so mul tiplied that they were eight families, disputes arose as to precedency at a yearly festival which they were wont to keep. John Groat settled the controversy by build ing an eight-sided house, with a door and a window in each side, and an eight-sided table within, so that the head of each of the eight families of Groats might enter by his •own door. and sit at his own head of the table. Whatever credit may be due to this legend, there can be no doubt as to the existence of John Grot. In the year 1496
"John Grot, son of Hugh Grot," had a grant of a penny-land in Dungansby from WU, liam, earl of Caithness. In 1525 "John Grot in Dongasby," as his name is written, chamberlain and bailie of John, earl of Caithness, gave seisin to the Trinity friars of Aberdeen, of a yearly payment from the island of Stroma, in the Pentland firth. He died soon afterwards, and was succeeded by his son William, or his grandson John. In 1540 there was a payment from the Scottish treasury of £20 "to John Grote, for freight of his ship sent by the queen's grace, from St. Andrews to Orkney, to the king's grace. with writings." In 1547 John Grot had a pardon from queen Mary for helping the earl of Caithness to storm the earl Marischal's castle of kkTfgru, About 1741 Malcolm Groat sold his lands in Dungansby, with the ferry-house, to "William Sinclair of Fres wick. The family of Groat still exists; but a small green knoll is all that now remains of John o' Groat's house. The shell Cyprcea Europaa, which abounds in the neighbor hood, has received the name of " John o' Groat's bucky."