Peterhead Prison Museum
A former high-security Scottish prison on the Aberdeenshire coast, open to visitors with self-guided audio tours, guided tours, a lifeboat museum and a café.
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Over het museum
Peterhead Convict Prison opened on 14 August 1888. It was built to house convicts who supplied the labour for the nearby Harbour of Refuge, a breakwater planned after many ships were lost in gales off this coast. The prisoners broke granite by hand at a quarry about two and a half miles away, and the stone was made into concrete blocks for the harbour works.
In later decades Peterhead became Scotland's high-security prison for some of its most difficult and long-term prisoners, and gained the nickname Scotland's Alcatraz. In 1987 a rooftop siege lasted four days and ended when the SAS intervened; a prison officer had been held hostage. The prison closed for the last time in December 2013.
The buildings were saved from demolition and have been open to the public as a museum since 2016. Visitors walk through the real wings, landings, cells and yards rather than a reconstruction, with an audio guide and information displays, and a separate Lifeboat Museum on the site holds the lifeboat Julia Park Barry of Glasgow. The site is now run by Cove Attractions, which also operates former prisons in England.
Hoogtepunten
- Wings, landings and cells of Scotland's former high-security prison
- Award-winning audio headset and map included with entry
- Guided tours on Saturdays
- Lifeboat Museum with the lifeboat Julia Park Barry of Glasgow
- Café with views over the harbour and town
- Escape rooms and evening events
Vaste collectie
- Peterhead Prison – A self-guided route through the wings, landings and cells of the former high-security prison, with an audio headset and information displays.
- Lifeboat Museum – A display in which the lifeboat Julia Park Barry of Glasgow is the central exhibit.
- Opgericht
- 2016
- Beheerder
- Cove Attractions
Toegangsprijzen & kortingen
| Volwassenen | £ 18 |
|---|---|
| Met korting | £ 16Aged 60 and over, students, Blue Light Card holders and disabled visitors (ID may be required) |
| Kinderen & jongeren | £ 12gratis t/m 4 jaar · Child ticket for ages 5 to 15; children under 5 are free. |
| Senioren | £ 16Aged 60 and over. |
| Mensen met een beperking | £ 16Concession price; ID may be required. |
| Studenten | £ 16 |
| Groepen | –Private group visits and coach trips can be booked through the museum. |
| Gezinnen | £ 54Two adults and two children; a ticket for two adults and three children costs £66. Not valid with other promotions. |
| Family ticket, 2 adults and 3 children | £ 66Not valid with other promotions. |
Prices are for self-guided prison entry, which includes an audio headset and map. Adults are classed as 16 and over. The website shows a guided tour on selected Saturdays from £17 including entry, and annual passes covering three prisons run by the same operator are sold online.
Toegankelijkheid
- Deels rolstoeltoegankelijk
- Lift: geen informatie
- Aangepast toilet
- Gehandicaptenparkeerplaats: geen informatie
- Hulphonden welkom
- Tastmodellen / voelbare objecten: geen informatie
- Rondleidingen in gebarentaal: geen informatie
- Informatie in eenvoudige taal: geen informatie
- Audiodescriptie: geen informatie
The main reception, located in the café, is up a flight of stairs. The route through the prison is accessible for wheelchair users. Accessible toilets are in the Lifeboat Museum. Blue Badge holders do not need to display their badge in the car park. Well-behaved dogs on a lead are welcome with prison entry.
Kinderen & gezin
Erg geschikt voor kinderen & gezinnen
| Bezoekduur | ca. 2 uur |
|---|---|
| Toegang kinderen | gratis t/m 4 jaar |
| Gezinsticket | £ 54 · Two adults and two children; a ticket for two adults and three children costs £66. Not valid with other promotions. |
- Kinderwagenvriendelijk
The museum describes itself as suitable for families and all ages. Children under 5 enter free and there are family tickets for two adults with two or three children. Much of the site can be used with a buggy, although some areas have stairs and buggies can be left in safe spots. The escape rooms are recommended for ages 8 and over, and evening events are for adults.
Bereikbaarheid & parkeren
Met het openbaar vervoer
Peterhead, HM Prison (Stagecoach)
The Stagecoach bus stop Peterhead, HM Prison is directly opposite the main gates. The nearest railway station is Aberdeen, about 35 miles south, next to the main Stagecoach bus depot.
Met de auto
Gratis parkeren
Free on-site parking inside the prison walls, near the café; follow the signs from the main entrance. The car park is open from 10:00 to 15:00. There are no designated coach bays, so coaches park in the prison grounds following the signs.
Enter through the prison driveway and follow the signs for the café and car park. The operator is not responsible for vehicles parked within the prison walls.
Route plannenService & horeca
- Café
- Museumwinkel
The café serves hot and cold drinks, cakes, light meals and snacks, overlooks the harbour and town, and is open to non-visitors. The gift shop sells souvenirs and prison memorabilia.
Evenementen & zaalverhuur
- Ruimtes te huur
- Privéfeesten
- Bruiloften / trouwceremonies
The site offers venue hire for private events, events and exhibitions, weddings, photography and film or production locations.
Aanvragen & detailsJe bezoek plannen
| Rondleidingen | ja · duur ca. 1,5 uur |
|---|---|
| Audiotour | ja |
| Aanbod voor scholen | ja |
| Fotograferen | Photography is encouraged throughout the site. |
| Goed om te weten | Allow about 1.5 to 2 hours for a self-guided visit with the audio headset. Guided tours last about 1.5 hours and run on Saturdays at 10:30 and 12:30. Education programmes are offered for Key Stages 2 to 5 and for higher education. Escape rooms and evening events such as ghost hunts are offered separately. |
