Look to your left and spot the tall, stone-faced building with steep, pointy gables and a small ornate balcony perched above the main doorway; next to it you'll see a newer, silvery extension that looks much more modern than its neighbour.
Now, picture the year 1869 here in Peterhead. The air is thick with the smell of cut stone and the excitement of a new era about to dawn. In front of you, right on Queen Street, the townsfolk gather, their best hats on, as a foundation stone is laid with full masonic honours-the start of what would become Peterhead Sheriff Court. Designed by William Smith, who must have had quite the flair for drama, the building rises with grand, jagged gables reaching for the sky, almost as if the roof is having a competition with the seagulls. Built with sturdy ashlar stone, every block seems to tell a tale-and let’s not forget the cost: £2,600! Back then, that could buy you quite a few barrels of herring and a new suit to boot.
By 1871, the courthouse opens with its doors wide and its windows surveying Queen Street with a dignified gaze. Those segment-headed windows and tall pediments with finials above made sure everyone knew this house means business. Pass through the grand doorway and you’d find two courtrooms bustling with stern judges, nervous defendants, and whispers bouncing off the stone walls. Three prison cells lurked within-not the place to find yourself after a big night out!
Fast forward to the late 1990s, and local officials realized this courthouse needed a new wing-sort of like a middle-aged man buying a shiny new car. The extension, gleaming with granite from Blackhill Quarry, was the talk of the town until the North Sea’s fierce weather started nibbling away at the stone. Granite turned crumbly, mysteries of weather and time colliding! Thanks to a £1.5 million makeover in 2019, now with smart new aluminium cladding, the courthouse stands ready for the next chapter of trials, tales, and maybe even a bit of drama on stormy nights. So, as you stand here, imagine the echoes of history and the sound of justice through the ages-you never know who’s peering out those old windows even today!
