John o'Groats or John O'Groats?


The Correct Spelling of John o’ Groats

(John o' Groats Feature Page on Undiscovered Scotland) A signpost at John o’ Groats, Caithness, marking one end of the famous Land’s End to John o’ Groats route. The village name “John o’ Groats” is often a subject of spelling confusion, particularly regarding whether the “o’” should be uppercase or lowercase. According to authoritative sources in the UK, the accepted spelling uses a lowercase “o” in “o’ Groats.” In other words, the name is correctly written as John o’ Groats, not “John O’Groats.” Below we examine official references from government mapping and tourism authorities, as well as historical usage, which all indicate the lowercase “o” is preferred.

Official Usage (Ordnance Survey and Government Sources)

Ordnance Survey (OS) – the UK’s national mapping agency – uses the spelling “John o’ Groats” with a lowercase “o.” For example, OS maps and products refer to the area as “John o’Groats” (OS Map of Thurso & John o'Groats | Explorer 451 Map | Ordnance Survey Shop). This reflects current official nomenclature. In fact, the Ordnance Survey originally printed the name with a capital “O” in earlier maps, but at some point it officially switched to “John o’ Groats” (lowercase o) and continues to use that form today (OS Map of Thurso & John o'Groats | Explorer 451 Map | Ordnance Survey Shop). This change aligns the spelling with the word “o’” meaning “of” (see Historical References below).

Other government and authoritative references also follow the OS spelling. For instance, the Highland Council and various UK government publications refer to the village as John o’ Groats (often capitalizing only “John” and “Groats”). Road signs and official documents generally mirror the OS usage, reinforcing the lowercase “o” as standard. In summary, official UK sources favor “John o’ Groats” with a small o.

Tourism Authorities and Common Usage

VisitScotland, Scotland’s national tourism organization, consistently uses “John o’ Groats” in its materials. In a visitor guide on VisitScotland’s website, the village is described as “the small coastal village of John o’ Groats” (John O' Groats Visitor Guide - Accommodation, Things To Do & More | VisitScotland) – here “o’” is lowercase, in line with the official style. Promotional articles, travel guides, and the VisitScotland listings all treat John o’ Groats as the correct spelling, indicating that the tourism authority considers the lowercase “o” the proper form.

Many other travel and reference sources follow suit. Encyclopædia Britannica, for example, uses John o’Groats with a lowercase o in its entry (John o’Groats | Scotland, Map, & History | Britannica). Wikivoyage and other travel guides also adopt the “John o’ Groats” spelling. While one may occasionally see “John O’Groats” (capital O) in less formal usage or older media, the lowercase “o’” is by far the most common and officially endorsed spelling among reputable sources today.

Historical References and Name Origin

The preference for lowercase “o” is rooted in the name’s origin and historical usage. John o’ Groats takes its name from Jan de Groote (John de Groot), a 15th-century Dutchman who settled in Caithness. The term “o’ Groats” is understood to mean “of Groat” (essentially “John of Groat’s [house]”). In Scots and older usage, “o’” is an abbreviation for “of,” so it is not a proper noun itself and is not capitalized in the middle of a name. As one reference explains, “the name of the real-world town of John o’ Groats is correctly written with a lower case ‘o’, as the ‘o’’ means ‘of’ and thus is not cognate with Irish names that begin with O’...” (John O'Groats | Harry Potter Wiki | Fandom). In contrast to Irish surnames like O’Neill (where O’ is a distinct prefix and typically capitalized), the “o’” in John o’ Groats is a simple preposition.

Historically, some documents and maps did use “John O’Groat’s” or “John O’Groats” with a capital O. For example, 19th-century gazetteers and the local newspaper (the John O’Groat Journal) used a capital O in printing the name. However, over time the lowercase usage became standard in authoritative contexts. Ordnance Survey’s early maps might have shown John O’Groats, but all modern editions and official records have corrected this to John o’ Groats. This change acknowledges the etymology: “o’ = of.” Today, using a capital “O” in John O’Groats is often regarded as a spelling mistake (John O'Groats | Harry Potter Wiki | Fandom), whereas “John o’ Groats” (lowercase o) is considered the correct form by the UK’s official and historical conventions.

Conclusion

Both official UK government sources and Scotland’s tourism authorities agree on the spelling John o’ Groats, with a lowercase “o”. The Ordnance Survey and VisitScotland consistently use this form (OS Map of Thurso & John o'Groats | Explorer 451 Map | Ordnance Survey Shop) (John O' Groats Visitor Guide - Accommodation, Things To Do & More | VisitScotland), reflecting the fact that “o’” means “of” and is not capitalized mid-name. Historical evidence and the name’s origin support this convention, distinguishing it from Irish O’ names. In summary, the most authoritative and widely accepted spelling is John o’ Groats (lowercase o), and this is the form you will find on official maps, road signs, and publications. (John O'Groats | Harry Potter Wiki | Fandom)

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