Ellon is a town in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is roughly 16 miles (26 km) north of Aberdeen, lying on the River Ythan, which has some of the handful of undeveloped river estuaries on the eastern coast of Scotland. It is in the ancient region of Formartine. Its name is believed to stem from the Gaelic term Eilean, an island, on account of the presence of an island in the River Ythan, which offered a handy fording point. In accordance with population estimates from 2006, the town has a permanent resident population of around 9860 people. Ellon has actually profited from the North Sea oil demand, and is among the primary dormitory towns for Aberdeen. Routine and frequent bus services link 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 is part of the proposed Energetica corridor of development. The population is growing as young families seek to leave Aberdeen and move to surrounding towns like Ellon, Inverurie and Banchory. During the course of 2006, Ellon ranked as the town with the fourth most quickly increasing average house prices in Scotland. Places of interest within the town consist of 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, built in 1793 and still in use as a pedestrian bridge. The Riverside Park offers paths beside the Ythan, from which herons, salmon, trout and otters may 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, be sure to identify respected experts in Ellon to make certain of quality.