Ellon is a town in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is around 16 miles (26 kilometres) 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 region of Formartine. Its name is thought to derive from the Gaelic term Eilean, an island, on account of the existence of an island in the River Ythan, which supplied a convenient fording point. In accordance with population estimates from 2006, the town has a permanent resident population of around 9860 people. Ellon has taken advantage of the North Sea oil demand, and is among the principal dormitory towns for Aberdeen. Regular 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 becomes part of the proposed Energetica corridor of development. The population is growing 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 4th 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 provides walkways next to the Ythan, from which herons, salmon, trout and otters can be observed. The Meadows sports centre has numerous sporting facilities and clubs, featuring football and rugby pitches, an astroturf pitch for hockey, a gym, and a multi-use sports hall. For all of your home enhancements, be sure to find trusted contractors in Ellon to make certain of quality.