Ugliest place in Scotland is . . . John o' Groatesque

THE name is known around the world, but it has been already branded Scotland's worst tourist attraction by one guidebook.

Now, just as John o' Groats was hoping to consign its bad reputation to the past, it will today be given another unwanted accolade. It will be named the most unsightly place in Scotland and given the notorious Plook on the Plinth prize in the annual Carbuncle Awards.

It is another setback for the northerly community that every year attracts 112,000 tourists and marathon competitors but has suffered from years of underdevelopment and unfulfilled promises.

But locals believe the name-calling will soon be consigned to the past with plans lodged to create 16 eco-friendly, self-catering lodges and a visitor centre from the shell of the rundown landmark John o' Groats Hotel.

The proposal represents the first phase of a masterplan to rejuvenate the village which has been described previously as the worst and most embarrassing tourist attraction in Scotland and where the majority of its visitors are said to stay an average of only ten minutes.

John o' Groats beat East Kilbride, Lochgelly, Inverness and Denny to the dishonour of the Carbuncle Award, given annually by Urban Realm magazine. It said: "Home to Britain's most northerly derelict building, this windswept outpost was marked down by our judges for its reliance upon tourist tat and its over-commercialisation, evidenced most prominently by the famous John o' Groats signpost.

"Surrounded by a clutter of timber huts, caravans, Portakabins and untended landscaping, its fingers should point to the North Pole, London, New York and so forth, but instead one enterprising local 'photographer' sticks two up at passing tourists by affixing the missing signage for an 18 fee."

Carbuncles spokesman John Glenday said: "Last, most definitely last, in our cross-country trek was John o' Groats. Despite having travelled so far north to be there, our enthusiasm swiftly headed south upon clocking the disparate assortment of steadings struggling to assume the stature of a hamlet.

"What sort of impression is this torrid environment making on those who have travelled furthest to see it and what must they report to family and friends back home? Until this northerly outpost starts treating its guests with respect, there can be no hope of becoming a genuinely significant tourist draw."

Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) commissioned consultant GVA Grimley to create a masterplan for the village, described as Scotland's worst attraction in the Lonely Planet guide. Over the next 15 to 20 years, it is planned to create a quality coastal village at a cost of up to 15 million.

An HIE spokeswoman said John o' Groats was a spectacular location and deserved facilities that will reflect its natural beauty and potential. "This is why the community, private investors, and the public agencies are all working to drive forward a vision they created together for the village," she said.

She said the masterplan had put local and visitor needs at its core.

She went on: "HIE welcomes this award. We hope it will be the first of many John o' Groats will receive, but hopefully from those interested in rewarding rather than condemning what is great about this iconic village with its bright future."

The judges gave a "dishonourable mention" to the Stirlingshire town of Denny which they said is "lumbered with a giant mouldering Battenberg cake of a town centre".

They also named the St James Retail Centre in East Kilbride as Scotland's worst new building. They said the town was getting too many "rag tag, peripheral schemes" that were in danger of sending its town centre into a spiral of decline and turning it into a Carbuncle of the future.