Ayton (site of)

Ayton was a castle belonging to Andrew Aytoun in the first half of the 16th century.

Aytoun, Chamberlain of the Royal estates in Stirlingshire and Strathearn and master of building work at Stirling Castle from 1497 to 1508, was granted the lands of Nether Denmuir by James IV. Aytoun renamed the property Aytoun.

Nether Denmuir may have originally been part of the barony of Denmuir, which certainly seems to have been split by the late 16th century as in 1590 Ayton is referred to as Dunmure-Aytoun, presumably to distinguish it from the nearby property of Dunmure-Paterson which was owned by the Paterson family.

I have placed the site of the castle at Ayton farmhouse pending further research.