Work is scheduled to start improvements on John O'Groats, the UK's most northerly mainland outpost, which last year received the Carbuncle Award for the most dismal place in Scotland and was once described by architecture magazine Urban Realm as a "bleak outpost."

Amongst the improvements scheduled to begin is the redevelopment of the 19th Century John O'Groats Hotel and the building of turfed roof lodges nearby.

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Improvements to the LastHouseMuseum and Journey's End Cafe are also included in the initial stage of planned work.

The cost of the overall project will run to £6m.

The John O'Groats Hotel was built on a site which was once occupied by a 15th Century Dutch ferryman called Jan de Groot, whose name, and payment for ferry crossings to Orkney in coins called groats, led to the village getting its name.

Earlier this year the hotel was the focus of the Highlands' biggest street art project in which artists were invited to paint the exterior of the property to mark a countdown to the start of the revamp project.

(JG/BMcC)