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Octagonal marker with a directional arrow and the trail name.John o'Groats Trail

Highland

220 km / 137 miles
The John o'Groats Trail (JOGT) is a coastal walking route under development along the eastern shores of the Moray Firth from Inverness to John o' Groats, traversing back lanes, footpaths, shorelines and cliff-tops of the Scottish Highlands. Accommodation, meals and shops are available at the end of most stages of the walk. It is listed by the Highland Rangers as an official virtual trail.

The route is a work in progress. All of the route is walkable, and is walked, both by local and long-distance walkers. However, in most places the trail is little more than a sheep track with occasional stiles and bridges, some of which are yet to be installed. About half the route had been marked by April 2018. This is where Friends of the John o'Groats Trail, come in - their purpose is to build and promote the trail with volunteer help - see the website below for trail updates, events, volunteer days and related walks and contact information. If you decide to try this walk, please beware that it contains some obstacles that an established trail normally would not. Some stages currently require barbed wire fence crossing, stone wall climbing, river fording, boulder scrambling, and strenuous walking through summer vegetation. These can be dangerous activities if not done with care by a fit, experienced walker. In places this is a route, not a path.

Update November 2022, from Graham Smith (Trail Warden for the Alness to Golspie stretch): "The JoG Trail remains a work in progress. Ron McCraw (who helped on the John Muir Way in southern Scotland some years ago) has been commissioned to look at the entire trail with a view to making it safer and more walker-friendly. His report, with one of the Friends' funders, Outdoor Access Trust for Scotland, is now being fine-tuned with various recommendations about parts which require attention (such as bridges). [...] In addition, a full-time Trail Manager (Kenneth McElroy) was appointed in summer 2022 to oversee development. [...] The two main problem areas - where bridges are being proposed - are Loth Burn in Sutherland and the River of Wester in Caithness, whereas the more southerly parts are ok. There is no doubt that many parts of the JoG Trail are difficult and some are downright dangerous."


Details:

Waymark: Octagonal marker with a directional arrow and the trail name.
Path Type: Other Paths
Waymark: Octagonal marker with a directional arrow and the trail name.
Attributes: Challenging
Coastal
Forest/Woodland
Moorland
Start: NH666449 - Inverness, Highland View on StreetMap
Finish: ND379734 - John o'Groats, Highland View on StreetMap
Open Date: 2014
Web Sites: John o'Groats Trail Walk Highlands - Scotland's Long Distance Walking Routes

Publications, Badges and Certificates:

Guidebook Walking the John o' Groats Trail  (Cicerone Press  - 2023 )

Maps:

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Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right 2016.
© OpenStreetMap contributors under Open Database Licence.
Rights of way data from selected Local Authorities.
Large scale digital mapping is provided by John Thorn.
At high zoom levels the route is indicative only.
Purchase Ordnance Survey Maps:
OS Landranger 7, 11, 12, 17, 21, 26
OS Landranger Active 7, 11, 12, 17, 21, 26
OS Explorer 416, 432, 438, 441, 444, 450, 451
OS Explorer Active 416, 432, 438, 441, 444, 450, 451
Other Paper Maps:
Harvey National Trail map
John o'Groats Trail (Harvey Maps - July 2018)

Accommodation within 5 km of this Path:

 
 
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Bunk House
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28 km
Hostel Accommodation
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116 km

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Additional Images:


Connected Paths:


Downloads:

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GPX Route File
John O'Groats Trail GPX Exchange Format Route File
Last Updated 29/02/2016 12:56:14 - Change of Author
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MemoryMap Route File
John O'Groats Trail Memory Map Route File
Last Updated 29/02/2016 12:56:14 - Change of Author
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Tracklogs Route File
John O'Groats Trail Tracklogs Route File
Last Updated 29/02/2016 12:56:16 - Change of Author
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Route Profile:

226.4 km (140.7 miles)
4,622 m (15,164 ft) ascent
210 m (689 ft)  maximum height

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