Ellon, Aberdeenshire

Ellon (Scottish Gaelic: Eilean) is a town in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, approximately 16 miles (26 kilometres) north of Aberdeen, lying on the River Ythan, which has one of the few undeveloped river estuaries on the eastern coast of Scotland. It is in the ancient region of Formartine. Its name is believed to derive from the Gaelic term Eilean, meaning island, reflecting the town’s historical position at a ford on the River Ythan. In 1707 it was made a burgh of barony for the Earl of Buchan. It is twinned with the city of Chièvres in Hainaut Province, Belgium.