Welcome to Peterhead

The port of Peterhead is located on the north-east coast of Scotland at the mouth of the River Ugie, in the county of Aberdeenshire, approximately 563 miles north of London and 28 miles north of Aberdeen.

The town has a population of around 17,000. Administratively, it was within the district of Banff and Buchan until 1996 when it was incorporated into the Aberdeenshire unitary area which covers approximately 6,313 sq kms and which has a population of around 227,000.

Overlooking Peterhead Bay it is the easternmost mainland town in Scotland, and whilst perhaps less picturesque than other fishing villages in the area there are many handsome red granite buildings and several of historic note, including the 17th century Ugie Salmon Fish House, Scotland's oldest smokehouse.

The town's history dates from 1587 when it was founded by the Keith Earls Marischals and developed as a planned settlement. In 1593 the construction of Peterhead's first harbour, Port Henry, established a base for trade which allowed the town to prosper. The harbour was a whaling station in the 19th century and later became a herring port.

Historically Peterhead was the major white-fish port in Europe and fishing is still important to the town's economy, despite its relative decline in recent years. The town has also expanded and prospered as a base for the North Sea oil industry. It has a relatively diverse economy, including food processing, textiles, and service industries.