Arbuthnot Museum

The Arbuthnot Museum sits on St Peter Street in Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, at the corner of Queen Street. A pink granite building with a square clock tower, it was designed by Aberdeen architect Duncan McMillan in the English Renaissance style. The tower rises 22 metres and holds four clock faces under a domed cupola. American industrialist Andrew Carnegie provided the final £1,000 needed for its construction. In 1891 his wife Louise laid the foundation stone, and the library and museum opened in 1893. The structure is Category C listed, one of Carnegie’s earliest library gifts anywhere. The museum began with local merchant Adam Arbuthnot’s bequest of personal items in 1850. His collection was kept in private homes until the granite building was ready. Three townsmen wrote to Carnegie in 1889 asking for support, and he agreed on condition the town raised funds. The building combined a public library with a museum space from the start. After more than a century of use, the library has moved next door to Arbuthnot House on Broad Street while the museum undergoes restoration. Inside, visitors find the original museum displays alongside the new exhibits in Arbuthnot House. The granite walls and high clock tower remain the building’s most striking features. The museum’s setting on a quiet corner keeps the focus on its historic fabric and collections. Restoration work aims to preserve the English Renaissance detailing and the tower’s four clock faces. The move to Broad Street places the library and museum side by side for easier access.