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No parking at the castle for the walk, so parking is in a lay-by in Ayton (on the B6355) with a short walk back to the entrance.
Mostly flat on footpaths, there are a couple of stiles but all have a gap at the bottom of the fence to allow dogs to walk under.
Access to the river near the start of the walk, despite being called the riverside walk this is the only point where you get near enough to access it!
Multiple poo bins along the route.
Ayton Castle, which you can see during the walk is a category A listed building, it has a miniature railway which has open days. The estate also acquired the 'Braxton Concrete Animals' which are going to be displayed after being restored - we were hoping to see these on our visit but they don't seem to have been completed yet! More information about the castle (including a map of the walking route) can be found at : https://www.aytoncastle.co.uk/visiting.html
As this walk is located just off the A1 near the Scottish Border it makes a good stop off to stretch your legs and get some fresh air on a long journey, but is also worth visiting if you're in the area. There's just one route that you can take but it was varied and the grounds are very pleasant with well maintained paths. Dogs have to be on a lead at all times in the grounds. There were a few places where we passed near horses and sheep but never in the same field - we also saw a few peacocks which we tried to steer clear of!
