Bo'ness was officially recognised as a port in 1601, although it had been recognised as such since at least 1565.

Bo'ness Port. The Scottish Privy Council closed the port of Bo'ness in 1602 because of the enormous amount of smuggling that was tacking place. It was reopened a few years later.

The construction of the first harbour at Bo'ness was authorised by an Act of Parliament in 1707. Until now ships could only load and unload using a long causeway, accessible only at low tide and in calm weather. However, until 1733, this amounted to a simple pier on the West Side of the anchorage.

The Custom House moved from Blackness to Bo'ness on 26^th December due to the influence of the Hamilton's.

In 1733 the East Pier, some 368 feet long was added to Bo'ness Harbour. This was further extended by a further 180 feet in 1787.

Beer Tax and Bo'ness Harbour

By 1744 the shipowners and merchants of Bo'ness were worried about the condition of Bo'ness Harbour, the quays were in a poor state and the harbour was silting up. Ships already paid 1¹/₂d per ton for anchorage, but this proved to insufficient funding for the purpose. After due deliberation they decided to tax Bo'ness beer at the rate of 2d Scots per pint (£1 Scots was 20 pennies compared to 240 pennies in £1 Sterling). An Act of Parliament was past and trustees appointed, but needless to say there was great opposition from the brewers and ale house keepers. Ironically it was through the harbour for which the beer tax was imposed that most of the illicit beer was to be smuggled into Bo'ness.

By about 1796 Grangemouth, South and North Queensferry, St. David's, Inverkeithing, Limekilns, Torry and Culross were all attached to the Bo'ness Custom House. At this time there were 44 officers employed. Salt was still a precious commodity the Bo'ness salt duty amounting to £3,000. Salt was stored in cellars or "girnels" barred with strong doors sealed by the Revenue Officer. It was only allowed to be taken out when the duty was paid.

In 1876 it was decided to extend the west pier and construct a dry dock where hydraulic machinery would be installed.

The new Bo'ness Dock was completed in 1881 along with the rest of the work.

In 1907 the trade in the harbour was as follows:-

Foreign trade: Inward 691 ships, 378,654 tons; Outward 739 ships, 365,457 tons. Coastal trade: Inward 516 ships, 111,495 tons; Outward 558 ships, 122,367 tons. There were also Consulates for: Denmark, Germany, Norway, The Netherlands, Russia and Sweden in the town.

During WW I flotillas of destroyers were based at Bo'ness.

Between 1935 and 1948 the trade at Bo'ness Harbour declined for several reasons including the following: it was closed to commercial trade during WW II, the volume of coal business decreased dramatically (which after the war may have been because of cheep foreign coal supplying the traditional Bo'ness markets), it was difficult to keep free of silt and it was not large enough for modern commercial traffic.

Imports	1907 (Comparison)	Yearly Average 1935-9	1946	1947	1948
Iron & Steel		37,585	34,163	25,870	61,052
Pit props		141,672	43,650	86935	104,102
Cement Clinker		15,496	23,357	28,145	33,334
Phosphates etc.		8,584	2,905	7,242	4,303
Other		17,056	5,338	21,329	15,757
Total:	490,149	220,393	109,413	169,521	218,948
Exports	487,824
Coal		353,839	27,208	11,629	12,501
Imports & Exports	977,973	574,232	136,621	181,150	231,449
Number of ships entering the port	Inward: 1,207 Outward: 1,297	395	203	269	300

A Tank Landing Craft Unit HMS Stopford converted Bo'ness into a temporary Naval Base during WWII. This closed Bo'ness Docks to commercial trade.

Bo'ness Harbour was closed to commercial trade on Tuesday, 30^th June 1959.

After a gap of 30 years in 1989 the first commercial ship, the Balmoral, registered in Bristol visits Bo'ness Harbour, although it did berth on the seaward side of the harbour.