Ayton, Scottish Borders

Ayton Castle is built of red sandstone castle in the Scottish Lowlands. It is located five kilometers southwest of the village Eyemouth and eleven kilometers north of Berwick -upon- Tweed in the county of Berwickshire in the Scottish Borders County.

History

Originally on the site of today's castle was a typical for the Scottish Lowlands medieval defense tower (called a Peel Tower or Pele Tower ). This burned down completely in 1834. The family home, which the defense tower and the surrounding grounds had originally heard subsequently sold the entire estate to the family Mitchell -Innes. It commissioned the Scottish architect James Gillespie Graham in order to build on the same site a representative family seat. The construction according to plans Graham was in 1851 in " Scottish gothic style", the Scottish variant of the Gothic Revival, completed. It was the last major construction Graham, who died in 1855.

In the years 1860 to 1867 the property was further expanded according to plans of architect David Bryce and James Maitland. Mark Twain visited the castle in 1873 and was impressed by the architecture so that he insisted on taking a fireplace as a souvenir. This fireplace is on display in the Mark Twain Museum in Connecticut today. In 1895 the family sold the Mitchell -Innes the castle to Henry Liddell - Grainger of Middleton Hall. During the Second World War Ayton Castle was temporarily used as a substitute accommodation for Esdaile School, which had been evacuated from Edinburgh.

Ayton Castle today

Ayton Castle from 1980 at the family residence Liddell - Grainger of Middleton Hall and the Baron De La Rue. It was open to the public and could be rented for weddings. On 4 November 2011, the castle for £ 2.2 million was up for sale, a sale or new owner is known so far nothing.