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The splendid edifice of Ayton Castle, the caput of the Scottish feudal barony of Ayton, dominates the town and district.
The original castle, a peel tower, had once been a stronghold of the Home family. This castle was captured by the English in 1497. The tower was replaced by a classical mansion, which burnt down in 1834.
The estate was subsequently purchased by William Mitchell of Parsonsgreen, Edinburgh, Chief Cashier of the Royal Bank of Scotland. From 1846 to 1851 James Gillespie Graham was commissioned to build a new castle at Ayton in the Scottish Baronial style in red sandstone. Further additions were made in the later 19th century. The interiors of the 1875 are still largely extant. William's son, Alexander Mitchell-Innes (1811–1886), commissioned James Maitland Wardrop to build Ayton Parish Church, with a 36-metre spire, and stained glass windows by Ballantine & Sons.
References:The Château du Lude is one of the many great châteaux of the Loire Valley in France. Le Lude is the most northerly château of the Loire Valley and one of the last important historic castles in France, still inhabited by the same family for the last 260 years. The château is testimony to four centuries of French architecture, as a stronghold transformed into an elegant house during the Renaissance and the 18th century. The monument is located in the valley of Le Loir. Its gardens have evolved throughout the centuries.
