of our journey, I made the chaise be dragged on to Ayton, where we waited till the driver rode to Berwick and brought us a chaise. Never did I pass three hours more unhappily. We were set down in a cold ale-house in a dirty little village. We had a beefsteak ill-dressed and had nothing to drink but thick muddy beer. We were both out of humour so that we could not speak. We tried to sleep but in vain. We only got a drowsy headache. We were scorched by the fire on the one hand and shivering with the frost on the other. At last our chaise came, and we got to Berwick about twelve at night. We had a slice of hard dry toast, a bowl of warm negus (drink), and went comfortable to bed". See also Ayton Castle List of places in the Scottish Borders List of places in Scotland References Bibliography The History of the Royal Bank of Scotland 1727–1827, by Neil Munro, Edinburgh, 1928. Borders and Berwick, by Charles A Strang, Rutland Press, 1994, pps: 21–2, External links SCRAN: Roy Map of Ayton Topographical Dictionary of Scotland Ayton Castle website Ayton village Berwickshire Villages in the Scottish Borders Parishes in Berwickshire