The route from Fyvie to Ellon is 17.8 miles in length with total ascending of 1,010 feet. Like most of Aberdeenshire the roads are rolling, and whilst there are no overly difficult climbs this route has been given a difficulty rating of 6.Fyvie sits on the River Ythan in the Formartine area of Aberdeenshire. It is worth seeking out St Peters Church which has Pictish symbols and crosses built in to the east gable. A mile from the village is Fyvie Castle which dates from the early 13th century, though most of the building is newer. The gardens were beautifully landscaped during the 19th century, and the whole estate was passed to the National Trust for Scotland in 1984. The castle is said to be haunted, though this cannot be confirmed or denied by Ride the North.
You will be mainly cycling through lovely farm and woodland on this route. Starting from the south side of Fyvie you immediately hit a tough wee hill lasting 1.9 miles, depositing you at the high point of 377 feet. You will then cycle on rolling roads before hitting a steep descent followed by an equally sharp ascent at 4.5 miles. The whole section from miles 5 to 10 have numerous examples of Neolithic and Pictish hut circles and field systems.After crossing the Ythan at Methlick you encounter the hardest part of the route at 10.2 miles this 1.4 mile section is dead straight so you never feel like you are making progress! But you could reward yourself either before or after the climb by visiting Haddo House. The building was designed by William Adam in 1732 for the Gordon family (of Gordon Highlanders fame), before receiving an opulent remodelling in 1880, so it combines both Georgian and Victorian features. A tour around the house and gardens is well worth it, or you could just stop for tea and cake. The final 6.1 miles are rolling downhill before a couple of minor bumps coming in to Ellon. You will have to navigate through the town from the west before you reach the finishing point.Ellon, 15 miles north of Aberdeen, sits on the River Ythan and you should visit the ruins of Ellon Castle as well as the Auld Brig which dates back to 1793. Ellon is also home to the headquarters of Brewdog, which started from a garage in 2007 and has now become a global business with turnover in the hundreds of millions. You can tour the brewery, and enjoy a beer at the tap-room on site. Ellon is a good-sized town and there are plenty of options for food and drink.
By clicking on the play symbol on the graphic below you can see route map. The elevation profile of the ride can be seen via the Hills tab with files for use with a GPS device also available for download. If you take any photos of the route that youd like to share, please submit to neil@velodays.comOnward rides from Ellon can be found here
Route map for Fyvie To Ellon by Neil Innes on plotaroute.com
