Ellon is a town in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is around 16 miles (26 km) north of Aberdeen, lying on the River Ythan, which has one of the couple of undeveloped river estuaries on the eastern coast of Scotland. It is in the ancient area of Formartine. Its name is considered to derive from the Gaelic word Eilean, an island, on account of the presence of an island in the River Ythan, which supplied a convenient fording point. According to population estimates from 2006, the town has a permanent resident population of around 9860 people. Ellon has benefited from the North Sea oil demand, and is one of the major dormitory towns for Aberdeen. Regular and frequent bus services connect Ellon with Aberdeen, Inverurie, Peterhead, Fraserburgh and surrounding towns and villages, serving both the town centre and the large Park and Ride facility at the eastern edge of the town. Ellon becomes part of the proposed Energetica corridor of development. The population is increasing as young families seek to get out of Aberdeen and move to close-by towns like Ellon, Inverurie and Banchory. During the course of 2006, Ellon placed as the town with the fourth most rapidly increasing average house prices in Scotland. Places of interest within the town feature the ruins of Ellon Castle, surrounded by walls referred to as the Deer Dyke, and the Auld Brig, a category A listed bridge spanning the Ythan, constructed in 1793 and still in use as a pedestrian bridge. The Riverside Park provides paths beside the Ythan, from which herons, salmon, trout and otters can be observed. The Meadows sports centre has many sporting facilities and clubs, featuring football and rugby pitches, an astroturf pitch for hockey, a gym, and a multi-use sports hall. For all your home refurbishments, make sure to identify credible specialists in Ellon to make certain of quality.