Peterhead

Peterhead Europe > Britain and Ireland > United Kingdom > Scotland > North East Scotland > Aberdeenshire > Peterhead Peterhead is a port in Aberdeenshire in northeast Scotland, with a population of 19,060 in 2020. Its fishing industry collapsed in the 20th century and the town is run-down, but is near attractive coastal scenery. Understand "The people are sober and courteous, and agree well amongst themselves, which has now become a rare character." - church report of 1728 Until 1560 this was a sparsely-populated farmland owned by the Cistercian monks of Deer Abbey, whose talents did not include industrial and property development. It was then handed over to the Earls Marischal, who built a planned settlement. This grew into the largest fishing port in Britain, and remains so; it also pushed the most easterly point on the Scottish mainland another half mile out, as the island of Inch Keith became connected by causeway and infill. In the 18th and 19th centuries the main catch was whaling, and Peterhead was also a port-of-call when wars with France made the Channel dangerous, so shipping went the long way around the north tip of Scotland. In Victorian times the catch was herring. All this created a need for even larger port facilities, and forced labour to build them, so Peterhead became the Botany Bay of Britain, holding hundreds of convicts at a time when Australia had ceased to want them. Its large grim prison is the legacy, now a museum. The fishing industry collapsed in the 20th century through overfishing, restrictive catch limits, and competition from European trawlers. Like Aberdeen, Peterhead was never itself an oil-handling town but serviced the offshore oil industry, but that too has passed as exploration and production moved into more northerly waters. The town became rough and deprived. However the fine buildings of its Georgian and Victorian heyday are well-preserved, and there are beaches and rugged scenic cliffs to the south. People from Peterhead are known as Bloo Touners or Bloo Mogganers, from the blue worsted moggans - stockings - worn by fisherfolk. Get in For long-distance routes, see Aberdeen . By bus Stagecoach runs bus services every half hour (hour on Sundays) from Aberdeen via Ellon P&R or Cruden Bay to Peterhead, taking 75 min, around £10. Bus 69 runs every hour between Fraserburgh and Peterhead, 30 min, around £10. 🌍 Peterhead Interchange is the main bus station, at the corner of Windmill St and St Peter St. By car Peterhead is easily accessible from Aberdeen and the south via the A90, which continues to Fraserburgh. The slow, winding A950 provides a connection to the west, and is a useful shortcut if arriving from Inverness. By train Peterhead's train station closed to passengers in the 1960s. The nearest station as the crow flies is Dyce, some 30 or so miles away, but as there is no direct public transport connection, it is better to arrive at Aberdeen and catch a bus north. Get around The town centre is easily walkable, but transport is required to explore the surrounding area. By bus A handful of bus routes operate within the town, connecting with regional routes at Peterhead Interchange. Local routes, however, are best boarded at 🌍 Chapel Street , a closer stop to the town centre. Services are frequent, with local buses running around every 15 mins. Tickets within the town cost £2-3 for a single or £4-5 for unlimited travel for a day, and can be purchased onboard. Buses are also available to the surrounding villages of Boddam, Cruden Bay, Mintlaw and St. Fergus. By taxi Taxi services are offered by a number of companies. Firms include Elaine's ( ☏ +44 1779 591000 ), Grab a Cab ( ☏ +44 1779 473030 ) and Central Taxis ( ☏ +44 1779 434343 ). See 🌍 Arbuthnot Museum , St. Peter Street, AB42 1QD . M Tu Th-Sa 10.00-12:30, 13:30-16:00 . Highlights local history including Peterhead's heritage as a major whaling port. Main exhibit is a stuffed polar bear. Free . ( updated May 2020 ) 🌍 Old St Peter's Church is a ruin by the north end of the beach. The oldest parts may be from 12th century, but the tower which still stands is medieval. 🌍 Peterhead Bay is home to vessels servicing the oil and gas industry. It's enclosed by two massive breakwaters, the southern of which was built using convict labour from the town's prison. The town's main beach stretches for a mile along the bay shoreline. 🌍 Lido Beach is the southern portion. It's just a beach, not a lido pool as the name might suggest. It's suitable for swimming, but distinctly bracing. 🌍 Peterhead Harbour has been a home to the fishing industry for centuries, and a walk around the old stone quays and piers looking at the boats makes for a pleasant afternoon. Keep your eye out for the numerous grey seals that frequent the harbour. 🌍 Keith Inch is a former island comprising the eastern side of the harbour. Although once housing a whaling community, it is now dominated by industrial buildings, but remains noteworthy for being the easternmost point on the Scottish mainland. 🌍 Peterhead Prison Museum , Admiralty Gateway, South Road AB42 2ZX , ☏ +44 1779 482200 . Apr-Oct: daily 10AM-6PM; Nov-Mar: daily 10AM-4PM (last admission 1 hr 30 min before closing) . Opened in 1888, Peterhead Prison had the reputation as "Scotland's toughest prison". Until the 1950s, inmates were subjected to penal labour, working in a nearby quarry and constructing the town's southern breakwater. The museum offers self-guided tours of the former prison, taking 1 hr 30 min to 2 hr. Included in the ticket price is admission to the Lifeboat Museum, which details the history of lifeboats in Peterhead, and houses the restored lifeboat Julia Park Barry of Glasgow. Adult £12, Lifeboat Museum only £5 . ( updated Sep 2023 ) 🌍 Aberdeenshire Farming Museum , ☏ +44 1771 624590 . Th-Su 11AM-4PM . Exhibits telling the story of traditional farming life in rural Aberdeenshire. The museum is located 20 mins east of the town at Aden Country Park, a large area of parkland and forest featuring a play park and Victorian arboretum. Free . ( updated Jul 2023 ) 🌍 Longhaven Cliffs south of town are a line of pink granite cliffs notched with narrow inlets. Access them via the wildlife reserve car park off the A90, and take very great care along the cliff paths. Puffins can be seen in the spring and summer, and seals all year round. A curiosity at the south end of this section, six miles south of town, is the 🌍 Bullers of Buchan . Here a cave has collapsed leaving a magnificent sea arch. 🌍 Slains Castle is a 16th-century ruined castle set atop windswept cliffs around 15 min drive south of Peterhead near the village of Cruden Bay. It replaced Old Slains Castle which is just a masonry shard 5 miles south. The newer castle is not maintained, so great care must be taken when visiting due to loose masonry and proximity to the cliffs. Do 🌍 Cruden Bay Golf Club , Aulton Road, Cruden Bay, AB42 0NN , [email protected] . +44 1779 812285 . A fine links golf club hosting the 18-hole Championship Course, ranking in the top 100 in the world, and the 9-hole St Olaf Course. 18 holes £165, during main season . ( updated Jul 2023 ) Hiking. Golden beaches stretch for as far as the eye can see north of the town, while the coast to the south holds host to some of the best sea cliffs of eastern Scotland. The Formartine and Buchan Way follows the course of the town's former railway line inland and provides good opportunity to see some of the countryside. Football: 🌍 Peterhead FC , Balmoor Stadium, Balmoor Terrace AB42 1EQ , ☏ +44 1779 478256 . The "Blue Toon" were promoted in 2025 and now play soccer in League One, the third tier. Their home ground (capacity 3150) is at the west edge of town centre. ( updated May 2025 ) 🌍 Peterhead Golf Club , Craigewan Links, Riverside Drive AB42 1LT , ☏ +44 1779 472149 . It's on the knuckle of land north of the Ugie estuary, but park on the south bank (helpfully called Golf Road) and walk across the footbridge. The "Old Course" took its present form in 1908: yellow tees 5704 yards, par 70. The second or "new" course has been reduced to nine holes. 18 holes £125, day ticket £140 . ( updated Jul 2023 ) Peterhead Town Trail . Three walking routes showcasing Peterhead's history. Information boards are dotted along the routes to give some context to the sites. Allow at least 2 hr for all sections. ( updated Jul 2023 ) Scottish Week is in July. Highlights typically include an aeronautical display by the RAF's Red Arrows, a race across Peterhead Bay by teams in home-made rafts, and a parade through town centre. The next is 12-20 July 2025. Buy The town's principal shopping area centres around Marischal Street, though like many high streets its heyday has come and gone. All is not lost, however, with a scattering of independent shops found on adjacent streets. For the traveller, the following stores may prove for an interesting visit: 🌍 Donalds , 7 St Andrews Street, AB42 1DS , ☏ +44 1779 474737 . Known by locals as "Dodie's" after its founder George Donald, this Peterhead institution is one of the few independent department stores found in north-east Scotland. Everything from fridges to footwear can be found, although for clothing and sportswear, sister shop Justrite (41 Queen Street, AB42 1TP) offers a better selection. ( updated Jul 2023 ) Fishmongers: As the UK's principal fishing port, Peterhead boasts some of the freshest and finest deep-sea fish available, with fish frequently being sold the same day it's landed. 🌍 The Old Smoke House (17 Ellis Street, AB42 1JR) is one of the best known fishmongers in Peterhead, with 🌍 R & J Seafoods (next to 23 North Street, AB42 1JS) being a little-known store frequented by locals. Peterhead Fishmarket is a wholesale auction house and is not open to individual shoppers. See the Eat section for fish and chip shops. 🌍 Ugie Salmon Smokehouse , Golf Road, AB42 1LS , ☏ +44 1779 476209 . The oldest salmon smokehouse in Scotland, producing smoked salmon using traditional methods in the same building for well over 400 years. While the building is not open to tours, visitors can purchase salmon in the shop. ( updated Jul 2023 ) The town is well provided with supermarkets. 🌍 Morrisons (Queen Street, AB42 1HG) is the most centrally located of the major chains, being a 10 min walk from the town centre. Aldi and Iceland also have central locations with Asda, Lidl and Coop being some distance away in the suburbs. Eat While in Peterhead there are two foods every traveller should try: Locally caught fish and chips are a must. It's hard to go wrong ordering fish and chips in Peterhead, as most "chippers" get their catch fresh from the harbour. Although cod and plaice are generally preferred in other parts of the UK, haddock is the fish of choice for most locals. For a more refined taste, try lemon sole. But don't ask for fish and chips — the local term is a fish supper . For those who would rather avoid fish, a white pudding supper is a good option — seasoned oatmeal stuffing, battered and deep-fried. Cookies , or butteries as they are known elsewhere in the region, are a local delicacy partway between pancake and croissant. They are best served warm with butter or jam, and can be found in almost any bakery or supermarket. There are a good number of restaurants, takeaways and bakeries, so travellers should have little trouble finding something to suit them. Some good options are listed below: 🌍 Dolphin Cafe , West Pier, AB42 1DW ( opposite the lifeboat station ). Harbour-front fish and chip shop with seating and views of fishing boats. ( updated Jul 2023 ) 🌍 Hame Bakery , 15-17 Queen Street, AB42 1TN , ☏ +44 1 [... truncated ...]

By Plane

The nearest major international airports serve Scotland with connections from across the UK, Europe, and beyond. Regional airports in the area provide additional domestic and European services. Airport buses and taxis connect to the town centre.

By Train

The local railway station is served by regular services on the British rail network. Train services connect to major cities across Scotland and the wider UK. National Rail Enquiries provides schedule and fare information. Advance booking typically offers better rates.

By Car / Road

Peterhead is accessible by road via the UK's motorway and A-road network. Major routes connect the town to nearby cities and regions. Bus services provide affordable connections. Parking is generally available in designated areas in and around the town centre.

Peterhead is compact and easily explored on foot. The town centre, with its shops, restaurants, and historical buildings, is pedestrian-friendly. For exploring the surrounding countryside and nearby attractions, a car is recommended. Local bus services operate within the town and to neighbouring communities. Taxis are available for shorter journeys.

• The historic town or city centre with its traditional architecture

• Local landmarks, churches, and heritage buildings

• Scenic viewpoints and natural attractions in the surrounding area

• Nearby parks, gardens, and outdoor spaces

• Walking tours exploring the town's heritage and architecture

• Outdoor activities such as hiking, cycling, and watersports in the surrounding area

• Visiting local museums, galleries, and cultural centres

• Exploring nearby countryside, coastline, or parks

• Sampling local food and drink at pubs, restaurants, and cafes

Dining options in Peterhead range from traditional gastropubs and cafés to fine-dining restaurants. Local specialities include fresh seafood, locally sourced meat and game, and seasonal produce. Many establishments pride themselves on using local ingredients and supporting regional producers.

Typical British pub fare (fish and chips, Sunday roasts, pies) is widely available, alongside international cuisines reflecting the area's diversity. Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options are increasingly common.

Traditional pubs serving local ales are found throughout the town. Craft beer has a growing presence, with local microbreweries supplying both pubs and bottle shops. Tea rooms and cafés offer a quintessentially British experience. The area is well-served by coffee shops and independent roasters.

Budget

• Budget hotels and hostel accommodation available, with dorm beds from £20/night.

Mid-range

• Bed & breakfasts and guesthouses offer doubles from £70–120 per night.
• Chain hotels (Premier Inn, Travelodge, Holiday Inn) provide consistent quality.

Upscale

• Boutique hotels, country house hotels, and historic inns offer doubles from £150.

Local shops offer a range of goods from well-known brands to local crafts and speciality foods. Markets and independent retailers provide character and authentic finds. Typical opening hours are Monday–Saturday 09:00–17:30, with some stores open on Sundays. Many towns have a weekly market day.

From Peterhead, travellers can easily continue exploring other destinations within Scotland and the wider United Kingdom. The well-connected transport network makes it straightforward to reach neighbouring towns, cities, and attractions.