Building record MAB23757 - ABERCROMBIE JETTY

Remains of a jetty or catch pier, constructed in 1789.

Remains of a jetty or catch pier, constructed in 1789. It arose out of a series of harbour improvements which were being effected at the time. In 1769, Aberdeen City Council had approached the great engineer John Smeaton to advise on how the harbour could be improved. He had advised the construction of the north pier. The North Pier was designed to help enlarge the entrance to the harbour and thus to encourage more shipping and also to reduce the problem of shifting sand and gravel in the harbour. Once the first stage of the north pier had been finished an unexpected problem was noticed. The north pier allowed heavy easterly swells to race up the navigation channel which was detrimental to shipping. Smeaton was again consulted, indeed in a curious incident he was in Montrose and the city magistrates, upon hearing of this, hired a chaise and sped to Montrose to seek his advice. As a consequence of his advice a catch pier was erected. This was named after the then provost, John Abercrombie (1729- 1820). Unfortunately the jetty itself proved to be a danger to shipping and consequently had to be removed. Little remains of the jetty with the exception of a small part which abuts into the harbour channel at the foot of the north pier and immediately adjacent to the Harbour Control Tower, or Round Tower. The extant part retains a stone inscribed 'Jno Abercrombie Provost 1789' (NJ90NE0063).

Record last edited

Jun 3 2026 12:48PM