Scarborough Harbour

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Scarborough Harbour is a sheltered area of water in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England. The town grew after Scarborough Castle was built in the 12th century.

In the late 1200s, the Old Pier was built to shelter the Old Harbour and became a major harbour between the River Tees and the Humber Estuary. The Inner Island Pier was built to the west of the Old Pier around 1325. As the shoreline moved due to sand, Sandside was created. By 1565–66 the pier was in ruins, and Elizabeth I funded its rebuilding.

Around 1732, Vincent's Pier was built, extending the Old Pier and enlarging the harbour, connected by a drawbridge. It is named after William Vincent, who designed it. In 1800, the Scarborough Pier Lighthouse was added on Vincent's Pier. The East Pier was built between 1790 and 1812, creating the East Harbour; John Smeaton worked as a consultant. The East Pier is about 1,380 feet (420 metres) long.

In 1817, the Inner Island Pier was demolished and replaced by the West Pier, which helped enclose the Old Harbour. In the 19th century, buildings were added on the West Pier, including the harbour master’s office and fish sheds. In 1940, Scarborough Lifeboat Station was built next to the pier.

The piers have been repaired many times. In 2025, £1.8 million was allocated for repairs to the West Pier, and there are plans to upgrade facilities at a cost of about £20 million.

The old piers are built from stone rubble and timber, while the East and West piers use large stone blocks, some weighing up to 30 tons. All four piers are Grade II listed.

In the early 19th century, ships were built in the Old Harbour. Today, the East Harbour is used for mooring pleasure boats, while the Old Harbour is mainly for commercial vessels and the town’s fishing fleet, and it has a slipway from Sandside.

From 2020 to 2025, SeaGrown’s Southern Star was moored in the harbour, with a visitor centre, cafe, and seaweed hatchery. There are also sculptures: seaweed on the East Pier and a piece called Diving Belle on Vincent’s Pier.