An exploration of the main historical and wildlife features of Ellon.
Bog Factor
Riverside, woodland and park paths, roads to cross.
Riverside car park, Market Street, Ellon.
Bus to Ellon.
NJ957304
The walk starts alongside the River Ythan. There is a car park at the start point just off Market Street. Turn left as you face the river and follow the surfaced path. The Ythan is a renowned salmon river and also contributed a bright freshwater pearl to the Scottish Crown in the reign of King James VI. The town of Ellon grew up as a staging post on the Aberdeen to Peterhead route as the river was low enough to be forded here, before the bridge was built, so it became the favoured route. After passing the houses and the end of a wall, turn sharp left up a rough path alongside the wall before Glebe Field is reached. Cross the main road (Castle Rd) and turn left along the pavement.
The high wall is part of the Deer Dyke built in the mid-19th century as a make-work scheme to alleviate unemployment as well as to keep deer out. Soon the war memorial is reached, turn right up Schoolhill Road. First, you may want to detour alongside the estate agent's where there is an ancient coat of arms including boars' heads and crossed keys, carved high on the wall. Continue along Schoolhill Road passing the entrance to the health centre on your right. Take the next right (still Schoolhill Rd) with newish housing on the left. Follow it as the road curves right with a development site on your left.
Take the ramped walkway to the left of the steps to zig zag uphill. When the surfaced path emerges into the housing bear left on a rougher path to head downhill through the trees. This is Caroline's Well Wood, named after Caroline Hamilton Gordon who lived at Ellon Castle in the beginning of the 20th century. Just before the bottom of the dip turn right onto another path which eventually reaches Golf Road at a small gateway. Turn left on the pavement and then almost immediately cross the road and head through a similar gateway on the opposite side.
After a very short section of paved path next to a low wall, bear right at the junction to head diagonally right on a constructed path through trees ahead away from the golf course. Follow the path as it curves uphill through an area of woodland where many trees were felled by storms in 2023. Ignore two paths on the left and turn right at the third path junction. When a bench is reached overlooking the golf course on the left take the rough path straight ahead which leads directly down to a marker post and steps. Follow this path to reach Hospital Road. Cross the zebra crossing and turn left for a tiny distance before taking the path on the right which leads to the Formartine and Buchan Way. Turn left onto this cycle and walkway, part of the old railway line that links Aberdeen with Peterhead and Fraserburgh. At a road use the zebra crossing and continue on the cycle route on the far side signed for Udny Station.
The elevated section of path gives good views, and soon approachs a viaduct, built in 1861 after the first one, which only lasted a year, fell down. Just before the viaduct take the path on the left at a bench and go down steps to the river. Turn left to follow the riverside path for 250 metres and then turn left (well before the footbridge) through the bushes.
Turn right on the street, then right though a gap in a fence onto a surfaced path. At a bin bear right to soon cross an ornamental footbridge and follow the riverside path alongside Gordon Park before returning to the start after passing under the old and new bridges.
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