Peterhead

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.

Getting there

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. 1 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.

Getting 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 2 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

1 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) 2 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. 3 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. 4 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. 5 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. 6 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. 7 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. (upda

Do

1 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: 2 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) 3 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