8 Doors Distillery - where does the name come from? Here’s a bit more on the Jan de Groot story that sits behind it.

You may already know that our distillery name is inspired by the legend surrounding Jan De Groot and his seven sons. The story of the 8-sided house and 8-sided table is one Derek and I both knew well having grown up in the area. But as we delved a bit more into the research it was fascinating to find out a bit more about it and how the 8 doors and 8 sided table were introduced in order to solve a potential family argument!

The legend goes that the De Groot family were arguing about precedency and who should sit at the head of the table. In order to solve this dilemma, before the next family gathering Jan built his famous 8-sided house with 8 doors and an 8-sided table. This meant that he and his seven sons were all equal and resolved any potential conflict.

Jan de Groot came to Scotland during the reign of James IV (1488 - 1513) and ran the ferry between the mainland and Orkney, so the legend has been around many years. Below is an image of an extract taken from the Gazetteer of Scotland, 1838, Volume 2 which recounts the story from that time; and notes that the foundations or ruins of the house were still visible at that point.

The site is marked today by a mound and sculptures between the current John O’Groats house hotel and the John O’Groats signpost.

*reproduced with the permission of the National Library of Scotland

Typed version of the extract:
”JOHN O'GROAT'S HOUSE, the most celebrated and extensively known house in Great Britain, but which now does not exist; its site, however, being still known by the name.

John o' Groat's House is supposed — for the fact only rests upon the suspicious legends of the north — to have been a small cottage of a peculiar form, which existed several ages ago, upon one of the most northerly points of the mainland of Scotland, in the county of Caithness. The accredited site of this famed domicile is still pointed out, on the flat shore of the Pentland Firth, in the parish of Canisbay, a mile and a-half from Duncansby-head on the east, and the inn of Houna on the west. Being thus at the very verge of the island of Great Britain, (though not so far north as Dunnet-head, lying fifteen miles to the west,) in popular colloquy it is often mentioned as one of the extremities of the united kingdom, Penzance, at the Land's-end in Cornwall, being the other.

John o' Groat's House is said to have been founded for the following reason. A lowlander of the name of Groat, along with his brother, arrived in Caithness, in the reign of James IV., bearing a letter from the king, which recommended them to the gentlemen of the county. They procured land at this remote spot, settled, and became the founders of families. When the race of Groat had increased to the amount of eight different branches, the amity which had hitherto characterised them was interrupted by a question of precedency or chieftainship. One night, in the course of some festivity, a quarrel arose, as to who should sit at the head of the table next the door ; high words ensued, and the ruin of the whole family seemed to be at hand by means of their injudicious dissension.

In this emergency one of them, named John, who was proprietor of the ferry over to Orkney, rose, and, having stilled their wrath by soft language, assured them, that at next meeting he would settle the point at issue. Accordingly, he erected upon the extreme point of their territory an octagonal building, having a door and window at every side, and furnished with a table of exactly the same shape ; and when the next occasion of festivity took place, desired each of his kin to enter at his own door, and take the corresponding seat at the table. The striking originality of the idea fairly overcame all scruples ; and, with perfect equality, the former good humour of the fraternity was also restored.

The foundations, or ruins of this house, which is perhaps the most celebrated in the whole island, are still to be seen. As to the above story of its origin and properties, there are different versions, all nearly alike, and all bearing a resemblance to the fable of the knights of the round table. In all likelihood, the accounts have a foundation in fact, for among the ancient Gauls a custom of this nature, to prevent contests as to superiority, was very general, and might have been here enacted from a traditionary remembrance of its efficacy. Rabelais had been made acquainted with such an ingenious device, as he notices it in these words, in one of his productions : " Tous les chevaliers de la table ronde estoient pauvres gaigne-derniers, tirans la rame pour passer les rivieres de Oocyte, Phlegeton, Styx, Acheron, and Lethe, quand messieurs les diables se veulent ebattre sur l'eau." If this passage alluded to John o' Groat, it would lead us to suppose that the whole of the eight Groats were ferrymen.”