Towns & Villages / Peterhead

Europe's busiest fishing port is home to over 400 boats, a bustling daily fish market and a 100-berth leisure Marina. The Maritime Heritage Centre tells the story of the local sailors, whalers and fisher folk through the years. Visit Arbuthnot Museum for depictions of the town's fishing and whaling history as Peterhead was originally a whaling port, until the whales left British shores for the safer frozen Arctic seas. 

Just north of Peterhead lies the important RSPB Reserve, Loch of Strathbeg. A large and shallow loch, it is close to the Aberdeenshire coast and separated from the sea by sand dunes. Designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest, the loch is fringed by freshwater marshes, salt marsh, fen woodland and farmland. The size and coastal location of this loch make it important for migrating waterfowl, with more than 30,000 birds often present. 

Nearby is Aden Country Park, once the grounds of one of Buchan's largest private estates. During almost 200 years of ownership the Russells of Aden transformed the bare landscape by energetic planting of trees and shrubs.