Origins of Peterhead Street Names:

The oldest street names are essentially descriptive and contain the old Scots word "gait" meaning "street" or "road".

Longate - long street

Seagate - street by the sea

Backgate (and Back Street) - street at the back (or edge) of the town (this was formerly the furthest extent of Peterhead)

Broad Street - (or Broadgate) - the main market street

Other old names are also descriptive.

Tollbooth Wynd - the wynd beside the Tollbooth

Windmill Street - the street leading to the windmill

Ugie Street - the street leading to the River Ugie

Harbour Street - the street by the harbour

Bridge Street - the street leading to the bridge (to Keith Inch)

North Street - northern continuation of Longate

Narrow Lane - narrow street

Uphill Lane - steep street

Kirk Street - at one time (before 1771) the street leading to the kirk on the links

Chapel Street - the street beside the Episcopal Chapel (now Salvation Army citadel)

Between the Longate and the Seagate - formerly one of the oldest areas of Peterhead - was a series of lanes now all largely gone due to demolition and renovation. From north to south these were:

Brook Lane - possibly named from a spring in the lane (now largely rebuilt)

Fish Lane - so called from its proximity to the harbour area (rebuilt in 1900 as the lower part of Ellis Street)

Port Henry Lane - lane leading to Port Henry Harbour (demolished in early 1960s)

Crooked Lane - lane bent in middle (upper part demolished in early 1960s; lower part rebuilt in early 1900s, still survives)

Park Lane - named after Park family who owned property there (still largely survives in lower part)

Other streets in the centre of Peterhead were named after local prominent families or the Merchant Maiden Company who owned much of Peterhead.

Merchant Street - Merchant Maiden Company

Maiden Street - Merchant Maiden Company

Marischal Street - Earl Marischal, who used to live at Inverugie Castle

Erroll Street - Earl of Erroll, who lived at Slains Castle

James Street - possibly named after Field Marshall James Keith

Ellis Street - Alexander Ellis, first Factor of Merchant Maiden Company

Keith Street - after Keith family (on Keith Inch)

Other names have their origin from Peterhead's period as a fashionable spa in the late eighteenth century;

Bath Street - from the baths constructed in 1759

Lodge Walk
and
Pleasure Walk - both were streets were visitors to the spa would take a walk; Lodge Walk was named from the Masonic lodge built beside the baths; Pleasure Walk was on Keith Inch

Names in Peterhead's Victorian 'New Town' are largely patriotic or have their origin in Merchant Maiden Company associations.

Queen Street, Prince Street, King Street, Hanover Street, Constitution Street, Victoria Road

York Street - named after the York Buildings Company who owned Peterhead 1720-26

Landale Road - Thomas Landale, 19th century Land Advisor of the Merchant Maiden Company

Some of the streets in old Peterhead have similar patriotic allusions

Union Street, St. Andrew Street, Thistle Street, Rose Street, Albion Street

Charlotte Street - named after Princess Charlotte, daughter of George Prince Regent (later King George IV)

The remainder of the streets in old Peterhead had a variety of derivations:

St. Peter Street - after St Peter's Church

St Mary Street - after St Mary's Church

Threadneedle Street - from the existence here of small sewing workshops

Wallace Street - from Mr Wallace, who owner the Inn that used to exist here

Jamaica Street - possibly from the sea trading connections with the West Indies (formerly known as Well Street as it led to the Wine Well)

Station Road - road leading to the railway station (also called Cemetery Road in some maps)

Weavers Lane - where weavers from the Kirkburn Mill lived (now very largely gone)

Manse Street - street leading to the manse (now vanished under Kirkburn Mill; the former manse is now known as Kirkburn House)

Streets on Keith Inch. The origins of Keith Street and Pleasure Walk have already been commented on. Other streets:

Shiprow - street by the harbour
and
Castle Street - led to Keith Inch Castle
- these are probably the two oldest street names on Keith Inch

Ship Street - conventional name for a harbour area street

Pool Lane - lane running beside the Pool (old boat mooring inlet)

Greenhill Road - road leading to Greenhill

Roanheads - the old Roanheads has no formal street naming - just a random citing of houses all called Roanheads. The new Roanheads (built after 1877):

Port Henry Road - road to Port Henry Harbour

Gladstone Road - named after the then current Prime Minister

Almanythie Road - named after Almanythie Creek, the old harbour of the Roanheads

New Street - new street

East North Street - lying to the east of North Street

Battery Park - after the former gun battery which was cited here

The Esplanade - road by the seawall