Annotation:John O'Groat's House
Tune properties and standard notation
JOHN O'GROAT'S HOUSE (Taigh Iain Ghròt). AKA and see "Johnny Groat's (House)." Scottish, Reel. C Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AAB. Hunter (1988) notes that John O'Groats is a village on the north coast of Caithness, and 'John O'Groat's house' is mentioned in early 17th century chronicles. The family held lands in Canisbay from the 15th century onwards, and at some point there were eight families bearing this name. They would meet annually to feast until "disputes over precedence arose," which were settled by one "John O'Groat who built a house with an octagonal room and table so that all were 'head of the table'" (I believe this story was also told of one of the Irish O'Neills, featuring the line "Where O'Neill sits is the head of the table"-AK). This tune and "North Side of the Grampians" "form a medley, so popular on the north side of the Grampians as to rival any now current, being in sterling dancing style" (Fraser).
Source for notated version:
Printed sources: Fraser (The Airs and Melodies Peculiar to the Highlands of Scotland and the Isles), 1816/1874; No. 195, p. 81. Hunter (Fiddle Music of Scotland), 1988; No. 189.
Recorded sources: