Shell Beach, John o' Groats - watercolour - 25 x 36 cm
A short walk from the tourist hotspot of John o' Groats there is a beautiful, quiet beach. It is made up of broken shells instead of sand, giving it a gleaming white colour and making it look almost like a tropical atoll, especially on a sunny day when the sea is deep blue.
This beach is one of the best places to look for the small shells of the Northern Cowrie, which are known locally as 'Groatie Buckies'. Unbroken shells were used in the Stone Age as ornaments and they have even been used as a form of currency.
This beach is one of the best places to look for the small shells of the Northern Cowrie, which are known locally as 'Groatie Buckies'. Unbroken shells were used in the Stone Age as ornaments and they have even been used as a form of currency.
