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Montrose Harbour was served by both the Caledonian Railway and the North British Railway, lines serving variously Montrose West Quay, Montrose Wet Dock, Montrose Grain Store, various timber yards and a shipyard. The harbour is the dredged north bank of the River South Esk where it flows out of Montrose Basin into the sea.

The Aberdeen Railway reached Montrose [CR] in 1848, a branch from Dubton on the line being built north to Aberdeen Guild Street. In 1848 Dubton was the northern extent of the main line which was extended north to Limpet Mill (a temporary terminus north of Stonehaven) in 1849. In Montrose a goods line ran from the station throat down the east side of the station and goods yard to reach the quayside and Montrose Wet Dock (a dock with lock gates designed by James Leslie and opened in 1845. The west and north side of the wet dock was served by sidings. The north side siding continued to ship building yards. Turnplates gave access to the river quayside (the Fish Quay), the north side of the dock and Montrose Grain Store.

The Aberdeen Railway merged with the Scottish Midland Junction Railway in 1856 to become the Scottish North Eastern Railway which in turn was absorbed by the Caledonian Railway in 1866.

The North British Railway reached Montrose in 1881 and built a branch curving south east to a loop on Montrose West Quay from the south end of the station in 1886. The branch continued along quaysides to reach the Fish Quay and Montrose Wet Dock. A short curve there connected the branch to the Caledonian Railway branch.

Both harbour lines closed in 1967.

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