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Peterhead

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For the suburb of Adelaide, see Peterhead, South Australia.
Peterhead
Population17,330 (2006)[2]
OS grid referenceNK135465
Council area
Lieutenancy area
CountryScotland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townPeterhead
Postcode districtAB42
Dialling code01779
PoliceScotland
FireScottish
AmbulanceScottish
UK Parliament
Scottish Parliament
List of places
UK
Scotland

Peterhead (Scottish Gaelic: Ceann Phàdraig,[3] Scots: Peterheid)[4] is a town in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is Aberdeenshire's biggest settlement (the city of Aberdeen itself not being a part of the district), with a population of 17,947 at the 2001 Census[5] and estimated to have fallen to 17,330 by 2006.[2]

Peterhead sits at the easternmost point in mainland Scotland. It is often referred to as The Blue Toon and people who were born there as Blue Tooners. More correctly they are called Bloomogganners, supposedly from the blue worsted stockings that the fishermen originally wore.

History

Peterhead was founded by fishermen and was developed as a planned settlement. In 1593 the construction of Peterhead's first harbour, Port Henry, encouraged the growth of Peterhead as a fishing port and established a base for trade. A lifeboat station was first established in 1865.[6] Since early times Peterhead has received a portion of its water supply from Morris Wells.[7] Peterhead convict prison was opened in 1888, gaining a reputation as one of Scotland's toughest prisons. A new phase of growth was initiated in the 1970s with Peterhead becoming a major oil industry service centre, and the completion of the nearby St Fergus gas terminal. At this time, considerable land holdings were allocated for industrial development.

In recent times, the town has suffered from several high profile company closures and is facing a number of pressures, including Common Fisheries Policy reforms. However, it retains a relatively diverse economy, including food processing, textiles, service industries and, still importantly, fishing. (Over 90,000 tonnes of fish, with a value of around £60m are now landed at Peterhead,[clarification needed][citation needed] which is still also base to over 550 fishermen.) The Peterhead Bay Authority plans to extend the northern breakwater as a stimulus to the town's economic development. In addition, to assist with business diversification and town centre environmental improvements, the 'Peterhead Project' initiative under the Aberdeenshire Towns Partnership brings together the Council, Scottish Enterprise Grampian, Communities Scotland, commerce and community representatives.

Until April 2005, the Royal Air Force station RAF Buchan was located near the town.

Education

Peterhead Academy

Peterhead Academy houses around 1,400 pupils and the school is split up into 6 houses (Arbuthnot, Buchan, Craigewan, Grange, Marischal and Slains), with all the names associated with areas of the town. The school has pupils coming from surrounding villages such as Boddam, Cruden Bay, Hatton, Inverugie, Rora, St Fergus and Crimond. The Academy's moto is "Domus Super Petram Aedificata" (A House Built on a Rock). The Academy is Scotland's largest school at over 22,920 square metres in terms of gross internal floor area[8].

Primary/Specialist schools

Peterhead has seven primary schools (Clerkhill, Buchanhaven, Meethill, Dales Park, Central, Burnhaven).

There is one special school - that being Anna Ritchie, which caters for most specific learning difficulties, autism and other disabilites.

There is also Peterhead Alpha School which caters for children with social, emotional, and behavioural difficulties, as well as learning difficulties, e.g. dyspraxia and dyslexia.

Transport

Peterhead has a number of in-town and out-of-town bus services.

Peterhead once had two railway stations Peterhead railway station and Peterhead Docks railway station, but both are now closed.

Blueprint for Growth

In 2008, a Blueprint for Growth was published[by whom?] - a plan to extend the town beyond its bypass. The plan involved 4500 homes, 4 new primary schools, a new secondary school and a new hospital to be built in the next 20–25 years - hoping to bring 9000 people to the town.

Economy

Company/Organisation Activity

  • GE Oil & Gas Pressure Control
  • Score Europe & Score Energy, Engineering
  • Scottish Prison Service (HM Peterhead Prison), Prison Services
  • ASCO Plc, Oil Services
  • Talisman Energy (UK) Ltd, Oil Company
  • ASDA (Walmart), Retailing
  • Morrisons Supermarket Plc, Retailing
  • Smiths of Peterhead Ltd, Woollen Manufacturing is now demolished to make way for more stores
  • Fresh Catch Ltd, Fish Processing
  • Forman Fish Ltd, Fish Processing
  • Taylor Crane Company Ltd, Crane Hire
  • Dingbro Ltd, National Motor Factor
  • Waterside Inn (Swallow Hotels), Hotel Services
  • Macrae Foods Ltd, Fish Processing
  • Barchester Healthcare Ltd (Kirkburn Court Nursing Home), Nursing Home Services
  • Community Media Ltd, Printing and Publishing
  • Strachans Ltd, Grocery Wholesale
  • Ken Cassells Ltd, Fish Processing
  • The Palace Hotel (Peterhead) Ltd, Hotel Services
  • Alexander Buchan Ltd, Fish Processing
  • Dales Engineering Ltd, Steel Fabrication
  • Precision Powertrain (UK) Ltd, Transmission Manufacturing
  • Stagecoach Bluebird, Bus Services
  • Department for Work and Pensionsy, Government Benefits Office
  • Aberdeenshire Council, Local Government Services
  • Grampian Primary Care NHS Trust, Health Services
  • Peterhead Box Company Ltd, Box Factory
  • Natural Skincare Factory, Healthcare Products
  • Peterhead Power Station operated by Scottish and Southern Energy, Electricity Generation

Definition based on more than 70 employees. Source: Various

Buchan Gateway Retail Park Currently has B&Q and McDonalds, plans to build another 8 units

Peterhead Retail Park Aldi has demolished the old woolen mill and plans are to build an Aldi and 5 other units

ASDA This is due to be demolished and to be replaced with a shop almost twice the current size at 57,000 sq ft (5,300 m2).

Tourism

File:Across the lido towards the sea wall at Peterhead, N.E. Scotland, UK.jpg
View of Peterhead bay, looking towards the breakwaters
Merchant Street with the Harbour in the background

The harbours, maritime and built heritage are the town's principal tourism assets. Recent initiatives include investments in the Peterhead Bay area, which have included the berthing of cruise ships in the harbour. A number of projects are planned under the auspices of the Peterhead Project initiative, including tourism strategy development, enhancement of existing attractions, measures to improve the town's physical attractiveness, and improved marketing and promotion.

Sport

Peterhead F.C. are a Scottish Football League side who currently play in the Third Division. Peterhead also has a successful amateur boxing club, and in 2008 was the most successful boxing club in Northern Scotland. And currently has two reigning Scottish champions. The boxing gym is open to all and located in Ellis Street.

Peterhead RFC are a Scottish Rugby Union team who play at the Lord Catto playing fields.

Twin town

Notable natives


The town is also mentioned in Jules Verne's science-fiction novel 'A Journey to the Centre of the Earth' (1864).

See also

References

  1. ^ Ainmean-Àite na h-Alba ~ Gaelic Place-names of Scotland
  2. ^ a b General Register Office for Scotland, 2006 population estimate, accessed 12 October 2009
  3. ^ According to Iain Mac an Tàilleir's list of placenames, "The name Ceann Phàdraig ["Peter's headland"] is a fairly recent translation from English. The town was known as Inbhir Ùigidh, "mouth of the Ugie" or Inverugie, in the eastern Gaelic speaking areas."
  4. ^ Scots Language Centre: Scottish Place Names in Scots
  5. ^ Scotland's Census Results Online, 2001 Comparative Population Profile: Peterhead Locality Scotland, accessed 12 October 2009
  6. ^ Brief History of Peterhead Lifeboat Station www.peterheadlifeboat.co.uk, accessed July 15th, 2008
  7. ^ C. Michael Hogan. 2008. Catto Long Barrow fieldnotes, The Modern Antiquarian
  8. ^ http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/School-Education/schestate2011

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