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Supporting Northeast Businesses

Bay history:
In 1593, the construction of Peterhead's first harbour, Port Henry, established a base for trade and safety which has grown into Scotland's premier white fish port and a major oil service facility - the Ports of Peterhead.

The continued development of the harbours after 1770 employed engineers of national and international repute, such as Sir John Goode, John Rennie, John Smeaton, Robert and David Stevenson and Thomas Telford and helped to establish Peterhead's reputation as a major whaling centre, then a thriving herring port and now Europe's leading white fish port.

The modern fish processing facilities, cold stores and freezing plants helped to maintain fish landings over £80m in 1997. Although herring no longer dominates the harbours, it is still an important part of the port's pelagic fishing trade. Mackerel and shell fisheries have grown in importance in recent years.

During the late nineteenth century there was considerable concern at the loss of life and equipment at sea. A plan to provide several Harbours of Refuge along the East Coast was made, but the only Scottish development occurred at Peterhead. A male prison was constructed to provide convict labour to build the breakwaters, work on which started in 1886 and continued until completion in 1963, interrupted only by the two world wars. It is generally believed that the breakwaters were completed in 1959, but this was the laying of the last block in the North Breakwater, the granite roundel was still to be completed at this point. It is also worth noting that, while the prison supplied a great deal of labour towards the completion of the project, the workforce was mainly civilian.

By the time the harbour was completed sail had given way to power and there was no longer a requirement for a Harbour of Refuge. The sheltered bay created by the breakwaters was little used until the discovery of oil in the North Sea. The strategic location of Peterhead made it an ideal centre for servicing the offshore oil and gas industry. The provision of purpose built support bases has enabled Peterhead to develop its role as an important centre for this industry.

A significant trade in bulk cargo has been maintained throughout the Port's history. It has now diversified to include grain, oil seed rape, coal, peat, fertilise, animal feedstuff, consigned and frozen fish, fuel oil and road salt. More recently Peterhead has established itself as a port of call for cruise ships.