Information provided by Lady Saltoun
Early in the 16th century, Sir William Fraser, 6th laird of Philorth, purchased the lands of Faithlie from Sir Henry Mercer of Aldie. In 1542, his son Alexander Fraser, 7th of Philorth, received from King James V a charter for the whole fishings opposite his lands, and he constructed a convenient harbour. As a result he received a royal charter erecting Faithlie into a Burgh of Barony.

His grandson and successor, Sir Alexander Fraser, 8th of Philorth, known in the family as "The Founder", carried on his work (which included enlarging and beautifying Faithlie; building the Castle which until recently was the Kinnaird Head Lighthouse, the first lighthouse in Scotland; and founding a University). He laid the first stone of a new harbour on 9th March 1576. This harbour was bounded by a north breakwater, where the North Pier is today; and a south pier which forms the landward leg of the Middle Jetty. In 1588 he obtained a charter erecting Faithlie into a Free Port and Burgh of Barony and in 1592 he obtained a grant of novodamus, creating Faithlie a Burgh of Regality with a Free Port and ordaining that it should in all time coming be called the Burgh and Port de Fraser. Thus was the port or Fraserburgh born.

No major changes to the harbour took place until the early 19th century. In 1809-1810 a new North Pier was completed at a cost of £1l,332.17.3. 1815 saw the start of the Herring Curing Industry in Fraserburgh, and after bumper catches in 1815-1817, the construction of the South Pier was started in 1818, and the first direct local Harbour Authority, as constituted by Act of Parliament, met for the first time - the first Fraserburgh Harbour Commissioners.

In 1850, the construction was begun of a new North Breakwater called, ever since the Crimean war, the Balaclava Pier. By 1873 the prosperity generated by the boom in the Herring Fishing combined with the coming of the Railway in 1865 had made a further enlargement of the harbour a matter of urgency. In 1870, thanks to the vigorous efforts of Sir Alexander Anderson, 17th Lord Saltoun's factor in planning and in obtaining finance, the foundation stone of a new breakwater was laid by Lord Saltoun on 23rd October. From then on until Sir Alexander Anderson's death in 1887 extensive improvements were made to the Balaclava and North Harbours including the provision of a Lifeboat slip. Between 1894 and 1896, the Balaclava Harbour was deepened for the first time. It was deepened for the second time in 1977 along with the main entrance channel, and it was planned that the Inner Balaclava Harbour would be deepened for the third time in 1990 and a new dry dock installed.

In 1908 the work started on the construction of the Faithlie Harbour and storm gates across the entrance to it. These were swept away shortly after completion in 1914, and from then until 1963 the use of the Faithlie Harbour was severely restricted in bad weather. A Slipway at the Faithlie basin was built by 1931. This was replaced by a new Hydraulic Slipway in 1981.

The first Fishmarket was situated in what is now Cross Street but was until 1810 called the Fish Cross. The First Fishmarket at the Harbour was built later and in 1959 a new market was built on the Walker Quay in the Faithlie Basin. In 1987 a new Fishmarket was erected alongside the existing one, and in 1989 the one on the Walker Quay was replaced by a new one. Both have the most up to date chilling facilities and further improvements have been made since then.

These are the highlights of the history of Fraserburgh Harbour. The story is one of continual maintenance and smaller improvements. Financing the major improvements has been the chief problem since the beginning of the 19th century. In 1894-6 the second deepening of the Balaclava Harbour, the erection of jetties and the building of the South Breakwater cost £87,535. In the 1990’s the deepening and building of the Dry-dock cost £1.7 million!

Fraserburgh Harbour was built by the energy and enterprise of public men of the past. It is to be hoped that their spirit will live on in the Harbour Commissioners of today, and, in spite of the difficulties the Fishing Industry is facing, ensure it a prosperous future.