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More than 5000 entries on the history, culture and life of Britain (published in 1993 by Macmillan, now out of print)
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John o'Groats
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The site of a legendary house in Scotland. It is famous as the northern end of the longest possible land journey in Britain, *Land's End to John o'Groats (about 1408km/875m by road). The journey can in fact be continued another 3km/2m northeast to Duncansby Head, a craggy promontory which is the most northeasterly point of mainland Britain; but this lacks the romantic associations of John o'Groats. The strange name is traditionally explained by a story which first appeared in 1793.
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This states that three centuries earlier a Dutchman, Jan de Groot, settled in this remote spot with two of his brothers. When an argument over precedence broke out between eight members of the family, Jan built an 8-sided house (or perhaps room) with eight doors leading to seats at an 8-sided table, making it impossible for anybody to upstage anyone else. The suppposed location of this miracle of tact is now marked by a mound bearing a flagpole.
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