Ayton and Eyemouth

An interesting circular including a section of the Berwickshire Coastal Path and an Old Post Road that leads you to the attractive settlement of Ayton.

You will pass an old mill by the Eye Water, a river that powered 13 corn mills, 2 textile mills and 1 paper mill. The number of corn mills is indicative of the fact that arable farming is common in Berwickshire.

1. The Coastal Path leads you from Eyemouth Bantry to Linkim shore. Here the route leaves the Coastal Path, traverses the hillside, through a field gate and along a field edge, inland, to Fleurs. Before reaching the steading, turn right, leaving the farm track on a footpath leading uphill to Paddockmyre, the house on the hill top in the distance.

3. Turn left at the house making your way along the farm track leading to the public road, A1107.

4. Crossing the road, turning left, and follow it for 100 yards before turning right on a signposted path leading though Whitecross steading. Turning right at the metalled road, follow it for 400yrds until a signpost points you left down a wooded footpath for “Whitfield”. Follow the wooded path for a good while before passing through two gates which enclose a grass field.

5. The path leads down a steep bank to a bridge where you cross the Ale Burn. Follow the path through the woodland, where it then picks up a grassy headland of an arable field.

6. On reaching the minor road at Whitfield, turn left and follow until reaching the woodland plantation on your right. At this point you can either continue over the Alemill Bridge using the minor road to Eyemouth, or to continue to Ayton turn right where a track leads to the Old Post Road.