Stonehaven Harbour Overview and Navigation Tips

Stonehaven Harbour is a picturesque fishing village located on the east coast of Scotland, known for its stunning natural beauty and rich maritime history. It's a popular destination for tourists and locals alike.

The harbour is situated in a sheltered bay, which provides a safe haven for boats and offers protection from harsh weather conditions. This makes it an ideal spot for sailing and fishing.

To navigate the harbour, it's essential to be aware of the harbour's layout and the various mooring options available. The harbour has a mix of deep-water and shallow-water moorings, which cater to different types of vessels.

Stonehaven Harbour is a working harbour, and you may see fishermen unloading their catch or boats preparing for departure. Be respectful of the harbour's activities and keep a safe distance from the boats and fishing gear.

Related reading: Visakhapatnam Fishing Harbour

Stonehaven Harbour is a challenging place to navigate, especially for newcomers. You'll need to be aware of the numerous bays and headlands that surround the harbour.

From the North, you can stay relatively close to shore, about 2 to 3 cables away, but be cautious of several coves that can lead you astray. One of these coves is even named "Cove"!

As you approach from the North, you'll need to clear Garron Point, but be aware that Downie Point is easily masked by the coast behind it. This can make it difficult to spot Crawton Ness, which is actually the next headland.

Coming up from the South, you won't see Stonehaven until you've passed Downie Point, so be prepared to round every headland until it suddenly appears. A sector light on the outer pierhead is very useful at night, but you'll need to wait until you enter the white sector before turning in towards the harbour.

Don't be tempted to turn in too early from the South, as you need to be able to see the Yacht Club's dinghy park at the root of the inner harbour wall to clear the rocks that litter the South side of the bay outside the harbour.

Intriguing read: North Haven (harbour)

Stonehaven Harbour has a rich history that dates back to the 18th century, with its first harbour being constructed in 1768.

The harbour's strategic location on the north-east coast of Scotland made it an important hub for trade and commerce, with ships arriving from all over the world to unload goods such as coal, salt, and grain.

Stonehaven's harbour has undergone several renovations and expansions over the years, with the most significant one being the construction of the new harbour in 1904, which included the addition of new warehouses and a deeper entrance to the harbour.

The harbour's importance as a fishing port has been a key part of its history, with many local fishermen relying on the harbour as a base for their daily catches.

The harbour in Stonehaven during the 19th century had multiple names, including Stonehaven Bay, Stanehyve, Shore Head, Harbour Of Stonehaven, and Shorehead.

The harbour was a significant feature of the town, providing a safe haven for ships and boats.

One of the alternative names, Stonehaven Bay, suggests that the harbour was an important part of the town's coastal geography.

The name Stanehyve is another example of the harbour's multiple names, which may have been used by different people or at different times.

Shore Head and Harbour Of Stonehaven are other names that highlight the harbour's importance to the town's maritime activities.

The name Shorehead is a reminder that the harbour was a key part of the town's shoreline.

Archaeologists use a variety of techniques to date artifacts, including radiocarbon dating, which measures the amount of radioactive carbon-14 in organic materials.

The oldest known human-made structure is the Megalithic Temples of Ggantija, built around 3600 BC on the island of Malta.

Archaeologists often excavate sites in a grid pattern to ensure that all areas are thoroughly searched and documented.

The ancient city of Pompeii was buried under volcanic ash and pumice when Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD.

Excavations at Pompeii have uncovered remarkably well-preserved buildings, artifacts, and even the bodies of the people who lived there.

The Terracotta Army in China was discovered in 1974 and consists of over 8,000 life-sized terracotta soldiers.

Archaeologists use stratigraphy to understand the layering of soil and artifacts at a site, which can provide valuable information about the site's history.

The oldest known example of a human burial is the Jebel Irhoud site in Morocco, where fossils of early humans were found dating back to around 300,000 years ago.

Stonehaven Harbour is located within the Stonehaven Bay, where the harbour's entrance is narrowed by the harbour wall, making navigation easier.

The harbour has a tidal range of approximately 2.5 metres, which affects the depth of the water at low tide.

Berths are available for vessels of various sizes, with the harbour accommodating boats up to 15 metres in length.

DP 048605 is an oblique aerial view of a harbour with the Shorehead adjacent, taken from the NNE. This type of aerial view is often used in logistics and planning to assess the layout and functionality of a harbour.

The harbour is likely to be a busy shipping area, with the Shorehead being a crucial part of the harbour's infrastructure. The Shorehead is adjacent to the harbour, suggesting a close relationship between the two.

The NNE direction of the aerial view implies that the photographer was standing in a specific location to capture the image. This attention to detail is essential in logistics and planning, where accurate information is crucial for making informed decisions.

The harbour dues for 2022 are £21.60 per night, so be sure to budget accordingly.

You'll need to consider where to moor your boat, as the fishing fleet tends to land its catch in the outer harbour and moor there overnight.

In settled conditions, you'll always find a berth alongside the inside of the East Wall.

The forecast can affect your berthing options, especially if there's a risk of NE winds, which may require you to talk to the Harbour Master about a berth in the Inner Harbour.

You'll need a full set of warps, breasts, springs, and shore lines if you're rafting against another boat, and be prepared to attend to your boat as it settles to monitor the difference in draft.

Take a look at this: Harbour Tug

The Harbour master will issue you with a key to the showers and toilets, which are clean, heated, and well-maintained in a portacabin alongside his office.

You can obtain water in containers from a tap inside a concrete box on the pier opposite the Rescue Institution, but it's a good idea to ask the Harbour Master to point it out to you when you book in.

The only electricity hook up is in a box at the root of the inner harbour wall, where you'll need a normal 13amp plug and plenty of cable to access it.

Petrol, diesel, and Calor gas can be obtained from the garage on the West side of the town, while McDougal and Masson (01569 763806) may have Camping Gaz in stock, but it's best to call them first to check.

Stonehaven Harbour is a well-equipped marina with a sailing club, the Aberdeen & Stonehaven Yacht Club, available for members and visitors. The harbour has a scale of 1:12000, making it easy to navigate.

The harbour's minimum and maximum longitude and latitude coordinates are -2.22 and -2.17 degrees, and 56.94 and 56.98 degrees, respectively.

You can find the nearby tide station, Stonehaven, just 1 km away from the centre of the harbour. For real-time tide information, you can refer to the weekly high and low tide table provided.

Here is a breakdown of the tide heights for the next few days:

Additionally, you can access real-time marine wind predictions by downloading the Nautical Charts App. The wind speed and direction for the next few days are as follows:

You'll find the Harbour master's office has showers and toilets that are clean, heated, and well maintained, accessible with a key provided by the Harbour master.

Water can be obtained in containers from a tap inside a concrete box on the pier opposite the Rescue Institution, so be sure to ask the Harbour master to point it out when you book in.

The only electricity hook up is located in a box at the root of the inner harbour wall, where you'll need a normal 13amp plug and plenty of cable to access it.

Petrol, diesel, and Calor gas can be obtained from the garage on the West side of the town, while Camping Gaz can be found at McDougal and Masson, but be sure to call ahead to check their stock.

The town centre can be reached by the boardwalk starting from behind the Harbour master's office, which runs round the top of the beach and across the burn, extending to the North side of town as far as the swimming pool and camp/caravan site.

Cutting west off the path before the next burn will take you to the large Co-Op supermarket, which is well stocked, or you can stop by the small Co-Op shop in the town centre for basic items, although it has a limited choice of branded items.

The butcher in town is a good option, but be aware that they don't sell cheaper cuts of meat.

Additional reading: West Harbour, Helsinki

Stonehaven Harbour is a popular destination for sailors and maritime enthusiasts. You can track the last visits to Stonehaven Harbour by checking the AIS data, which provides real-time information about visiting ships.

The AIS data allows you to click and see all the visiting ships to Stonehaven Harbour, giving you a comprehensive view of the harbour's activity. This is especially useful for sailors and fishermen who need to stay up-to-date with the harbour's traffic and conditions.

You can also access statistics about the ships that visit Stonehaven Harbour, providing valuable insights into the harbour's usage and trends.