Dry Dock, Harbour, Peterhead

The Dry Dock at the Harbour in Peterhead is a significant maritime structure comprising Port Henry, North Harbour, and South Harbour. Port Henry was constructed by Henry Middleton of Clerkhill under the supervision of George, the 5th Earl Marischal, and was already in existence by 1593. It underwent improvements in 1631 and repairs in the late 17th century and again in 1705, with the south pier heightened and the west pier built. The southern part was reconstructed between 1775 and 1781 by John Smeaton, with further improvements by John Rennie from 1806 to 1810 and an addition to the West Pier in 1813.

The North Harbour and dry dock were designed by John Rennie and Thomas Telford between 1818 and 1822, with further improvements made in 1837. A junction canal was added in 1849, and the south and west piers of the North Harbour were constructed by David Stevenson in 1855. The southern part of the North Harbour, known as Middle Harbour, was developed from 1872 to 1876 by D & T Stevenson, with additional improvements made from 1893 to 1897 by William Shield of Peterhead.

The South Harbour was deepened between 1906 and 1908. The structure is primarily built of block granite, with some later additions made of reinforced concrete. The Harbour of Refuge, also known as the Admiralty Backwaters, began construction in 1886 under Sir John Coode and was built using convict labour with block granite. There are two lighthouses from the Telford era featuring rock-faced masonry, including one located on the South Admiralty Breakwater.