Peterhead
Guide on Peterhead in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The guide will help you to have brief introduction about the area and accommodation and hotels around.
Peterhead is one of the largest town in Aberdeenshire and easterly town in Scotland. It grew as a fishing port and slowly emerged into the largest white fish port in whole Europe. Earls Marischals of Inverugie was said to be the father of Peterhead who founded the place and mellowed it around the harbour at Keith Insch.
The key factor behind the progress and development of Peterhead was the whaling and fishing business which placed the place as a top fishing port. Peterhead became economically strong with the trade going. Soon another two harbours were added to the original Port Henry Harbour. Apart from that other industries including food processing, textiles, and service industry also gained pace. Other milestones in the development of Peterhead were the major oil industry service centre and the completion of St Fergus gas terminal.
Thirty miles north of Aberdeen is the harsh, uncompromising town of Peterhead, Europe's busiest white-fish port. Fish is Peterhead's raison d'être and everything revolves around its huge harbour. Local fishermen have not been having it so good in recent years, however, as North Sea fish stocks have become dangerously depleted and EU quotas have threatened livelihoods. The town's alternative sources of income are the power station and the high-security prison.
Eating Out
There's no tourist office in town, but the best place to stay is the modern Waterside Inn (compare various websites for prices), Tel. 01779 471121, on the road heading out of town to Fraserburgh, by the River Ugie.
A cheaper option is Carrick Guesthouse, Tel. +44 (0)1779 470610, at 16 Merchant St.
A good fish and chip shop is the Dolphin, on Alexandra Par by the harbour.
Region
AberdeenshireTravel Directions to Peterhead
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Local Sights & Activities for Peterhead
An interesting thing referred with Peterhead is the term 'The Blue Toon™' which emerged from the blue worsted stockings the fishermen use to wear. This gave the name Blue Toon, which is still associated with the place. Peterhead in recent years also have moulded in a culture to embrace more and more visitors and tourist reaching here to explore the attractions. The harbour has a few cruises operating which have started recently with the expansion of tourism sector.
Peterhead may not be the most appealing prospect, but the town is rightly proud of its seafaring heritage. The Peterhead Maritime Heritage Museum is housed in an attractive new building on South Road. It tells the story of the whaling and fishing industries and depicts the life and times of the townsfolk through a series of interactive displays and a video presentation. Tel. +44 (0)1779 473000. Apr-Oct Mon-Sat 1000-1700, Sun 1200-1700; Nov-Mar Sat 1000-1600, Sun 1200-1600.
At the north end of town on Golf Road, at the mouth of the River Ugie, is the Ugie Fish House, Scotland's oldest working fish house. Salmon and trout have been smoked here since 1585 and you can still see traditional methods being employed, and then purchase the finished product. Tel. +44 (0)1779 476209. All year Mon-Fri 0900-1700, Sat 0900-1200. Free.
Nine miles west of town at Mintlaw, is the Aden Country Park (pronounced 'Ah-den'). It's a great place for kids, with numerous walks around the estate, various organized activities and events, and the Aberdeenshire Farming Museum, which features a semi-circular farmstead built in the early 19th century and a working farm dating from the 1950s. (Tel. 01771-622906. May-Sep daily 1100-1700; Apr and Oct weekends only 1200-1630. Free. Bus No 286 daily to and from Peterhead.)
If you are interested in going out into the North Sea, down the coast at Bodiam there is a day angling cruise which can arranged all year aboard Misty - see website for details
