ancient ruins
Slains Castle
A gaunt roofless clifftop ruin near Cruden Bay, said to have helped inspire Bram Stoker's Dracula. Unfenced drops — take care.
15 km · about 30 min drive
EuropeUnited KingdomScotland
Ellon
Scotland, United Kingdom · Europe
About Ellon
Ellon is worth a stop: 10 minutes from Newburgh, 15km from Slains Castle.
Ellon is in Scotland, United Kingdom, with about 10,000 people. You drive on the left here. The nearest town is Newburgh, about 7 km away.
Ellon Castle is a scheduled monument within the town of Ellon, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Only ruins survive of the structure dating primarily from the 16th century, incorporating elements from the 15th century and later 18th-century alterations. The ruins form a focal point within a formal 6-acre (2.4 ha) garden laidRead more
out in 1745, centred on a Category A listed sundial dating from c. 1700.
Where to Stay in Ellon
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Ellon?
Within an hour or so of Ellon: Slains Castle (15 km), Pennan (37 km), Pennan (Local Hero phone box) (37 km), Grampian Transport Museum (41 km).
Are there any good drives near Ellon?
The nearest famous roads are The Lecht (A939 Old Military Road), The Lecht Road (A939) and Cairnwell Pass.
Where is Ellon?
Ellon is in Scotland, United Kingdom, about 7 km from Newburgh.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 10,070
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Region
- Scotland
- Timezone
- Europe/London
- Coordinates
- 57.3640, -2.0731
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in United Kingdom
112 also works. NHS non-emergency medical advice: 111. National Highways breakdown assistance on motorways: 0300 123 5000.
Full driving guide for United KingdomTags
Worth the detour from Ellon
7 notable places within an hour's drive.
photogenic
Pennan
A single row of white cottages squeezed between red sandstone cliffs and the sea, reached by a steep hairpin lane off the B9031. Star of the 1983 film Local Hero. Its red phone box is now listed.
37 km · about 40 min drive
film location
Pennan (Local Hero phone box)
The red telephone box on the harbour front of this Aberdeenshire village is Local Hero's most famous prop, now a listed structure.
37 km · about 40 min drive
museum
Grampian Transport Museum
Acclaimed motoring museum in Alford, Aberdeenshire, with everything from steam locomotives to supercars, plus its own outdoor test track used for summer motoring events.
41 km · about 45 min drive
castle
Craigievar Castle
A pink harled tower house in Aberdeenshire, its top-heavy turrets often cited as an inspiration for fairytale castle design.
44 km · about 50 min drive
castle
Dunnottar Castle
A ruined medieval fortress on a dramatic rocky headland on the northeastern coast of Scotland.
47 km · about 55 min drive
film location
Dunnottar Castle (inspiration for Brave)
The clifftop ruin near Stonehaven was a visual inspiration for Pixar's Brave and features in Zeffirelli's Hamlet.
47 km · about 55 min drive
Driving roads near Ellon
3 named roads, passes and coastal drives within 100km.
- 73 kmThe Lecht (A939 Old Military Road)Notorious high crossing of the eastern Cairngorms on the 18th-century military road between Cockbridge and Tomintoul, climbing to 637m with roller-coaster gradients: often the first UK road closed by snow.
- 73 kmThe Lecht Road (A939)The Cockbridge to Tomintoul road, Britain's most reliably snowbound route, a rollercoaster over the Cairngorms' eastern edge.
Driving in United Kingdom
- Drives on
- the left
- Petrol
- ~€1.73/litre
- Motorway tolls
- None
When to drive here
May to September
Far northern latitude: short daylight hours outside summer make long drives harder.
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