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Control tower and former pilot house, also known as Harbour Master's Station. Properly called the Navigation Control Centre, although affectionately known as the Round House, however the structure is actually an octagon. There is some question over quite when the tower was originally constructed, although there is very good evidence that it was built by at least as early as 1797-8. The Shoremaster's accounts for that year reveal that over £225 was spent on a 'new House' built on the North Pier, certainly ten guineas were also spent in those accounts for a telescope for the 'Lookout House' on the North Pier. It is depicted on the OS 1st and 2nd edition maps annotated as Observatory. The structure is illustrated on Colin Innes' plan of Footdee of 1803. The round house controls the entry of traffic into and out of Aberdeen's thriving harbour. This was originally carried out by the harbour pilots using a loudhailer from a platform built into the roof of the original wicker structure, or by use of a system of wicker balls suspended from a pole rising from the platform. Until 1966 the control of harbour traffic was effected by the use of three black balls which ran up and down a signalling mast. The control tower was added to in 1966, when a more modern system of Very High Frequency Radio was installed. A radar system was introduced in 1974. The structure was further updated in 1986, when a plaque to the right of the entrance was unveiled, the plaque commemorating 850 years of harbour history. It is an octagonal two-storey former pilot house with a later, splayed, 3-stage control tower forming the roof. Built of harled rubble with an ashlar base course, eaves course, and dressings and angle quoins. The west elevation has steps to a panelled timber door with a rectangular fanlight. A metal observation platform encompasses the second stage.
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Historic Environment Records (HER) 
Aberdeen City
HER -
NJ90NE0021 - NAVIGATION CONTROL CENTRE, POCRA QUAY, FOOTDEE