One of a series of caches along the A1 between Berwick and
Dunbar, which may provide a break from any boredom while driving
this section of the A1.
Although all the caches in the series are close to the A1, they
have been placed so that there is always easy and safe parking very
close to the cache.
ON NO ACCOUNT SHOULD ANY ONE PARK ON THE A1 ITSELF. THIS IS
NEVER NECESSARY AND WOULD BE HIGHLY DANGEROUS. CHILDREN SHOULD BE
VERY CAREFULLY SUPERVISED (although most of the caches are
sufficiently clear of the main road as to be reasonably safe for
children).
PLEASE TAKE CARE WHEN LEAVING AND ENTERING THE HIGHWAY -
TRAFFIC IS HEAVY AND OFTEN VERY FAST.
You can enjoy a fine view of the castle from the cache site
The present day Ayton Castle stands on the site of a much older
Peel Tower, once a stronghold of the Hume family, which was burnt
down in 1834.
The estate passed into the hands of the William Mitchell-Innes
who commissioned the Scottish architect James Gillespie Graham to
build a new Ayton Castle in 1851. Built from red sandstone the
Castle is a magnificent example of the Scottish Baronial style and
is one of the finest examples of this type of family home in the
country. It is still lived in as a family home and many of the
interior fitments and furnishings remain faithful to the original
designs.
Celebrated American author and humorist Mark Twain visited the
castle in 1873 and was so impressed with the dining room fireplace,
he insisted on taking it home to Connecticut where it remains, in
the Mark Twain museum, to this day.
Ayton Castle is open to the public and offers a rare chance to
experience the very finest in Scots Baronial style structures and
interiors.
There is easy parking beside the cache. Beware of nettles when
retrieving the cache.