Canisbay lies on the Pentland Firth, 2 miles west of John o' Groats. The medieval St Drostan's Church has in its porch a tombstone commemorating members of the Dutch Grot, Groot or Groat family which settled in Caithness in the late 15th Century and whose descendants operated a ferry to Orkney. Jan de Groot, who held a pennyland in nearby Duncansby from the Earl of Caithness, gave his name to John o' Groats.