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Ellon

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A New History of Aberdeenshire, Alexander Smith (Ed), 1875

Etymology
The name Ellon, in Gaelic, Eilean, signifies "an island," but, in general, another word is attached, which may be explained by the following examples,--such as Eilean-aigas, in the county of Inverness, which means the island of the water or stream, Eilean-an-dunan, in the county of Ross, which means the island of the small castle, and Eilean-an-righe, on the river Garry, in Perthshire, means, the king's island. A small island in the river Ythan, near the village, indicates the position of the ferry formerly used on the principal road leading from Aberdeen to the north-eastern parts of the County, and an inscription on the old communion cups, presented to the kirk-session by the Forbesses of Watterton, the name is written Ellean, tend to support the origin of the name assigned to the parish.

Boundaries
It is bounded on the north by the parishes of Old and New Deer; on the east by Cruden and Logie-Buchan; on the south by Logie-Buchan; and on the west by Udny, Tarves, and Methlick.

Extent
The greatest length of the parish, measured in a direct line from south to north, is 8½ miles; and the greatest breadth from east to west, also in a direct line, is 5½ miles; and the whole area is estimated to be 18,568 acres.

Topography
The general appearance of the surface is undulating, north of the Ythan it is hilly, and owing to the level character of the country between the parish and the German Ocean, the hills appear to be of greater altitude than they really are. The highest land in the parish of Ellon, south of the Ythan, is the hill of Cross-stone, and it is 217 feet above sea level, and the Lodge of Esslemont, on the Udny road, is 190 feet. Spring-tides flow within a few feet of the bridge of Ellon; the church is 30 feet, the railway station is 58 feet, and the highest point on the Ythan, at Douglashead of Ardlethen, is 34 feet above sea level. The Elphin-hill is 450 feet, the house of Dudwick is about 410 feet, and the hill of that name, on the borders of Cruden, is 562 feet, being the highest land in the parish.

[A New History of Aberdeenshire, Alexander Smith (Ed), 1875]