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What are brown road signs?
A guide to tourist attraction signs and their meanings
Ryan Barham
Last updated: 16/10/2025
Ryan Barham
Last updated: 16/10/2025
Where will your next journey take you? If you’re stuck for where to go, why not take inspiration from our TikTokers and follow the brown signs to a nearby tourist attraction.
According to Visit Scotland: “Brown tourist signs show visitors how to get to tourist destinations across Scotland. They provide clear and safe directions for those travelling by personal or hired vehicles.”
These brown signs may appear to help direct drivers to places of interest, especially those that are a little ‘off the beaten track’. They have three main purposes:
In this blog, we’ll delve a little deeper into what these distinctive signs are - and the joys they can bring.
A brown sign helps road users get to a destination safely and quickly by providing easy-to-follow directions in the latter stages of their journey. They complement the existing road signs and can also be used to highlight facilities that a tourist would not reasonably expect to find in that location.
These are just some of the tourist attractions signalled by these road signs:
Think back to your Theory Test and how you studied road signs. It’s very likely some of these brown signs came up under the Direction and Tourist Signs category. Can you remember what a picture of a tank represents? How about an elephant?
These pictograms make it easier to spot a sign for your destination - and brighten up your journey, especially if you’re looking for games to play with the kids - as well as including the distance in miles left to get there.
If you run or own a tourist attraction and want to apply for a brown sign, you’ll need to submit a formal application to the relevant authority. Before doing this, you should assess the number of visitors you receive and consider whether opening hours and adequate parking meets specific criteria.
Visit Wales has the following criteria and cost indicators:
Road type | Minimum visitor numbers for attractions | Minimum visitor numbers for attractions on seasonal tourist routes | Distance of destination from motorway or trunk road (miles) | Indicative cost of signing to the the destination when accessed directly from the trunk road |
Motorway | 90,000 | N/A | 10 | £25,000 to £120,000+ |
Grade separated dual carriageways with speed limits over 50mph | 60,000 | 45,000 | 10 | £8,000 to £30,000 |
Other dual carriageways | 50,000 | 38,000 | 6 | £8,000 to £30,000 |
Single carriageways | 20,000 | 15,000 | 6 | £6,000 to £18,000 |
Typically, the tourist attraction itself will cover the cost of manufacture, installation and maintenance of the brown sign but local authorities will be responsible for its upkeep, depending on the road type.
There are a number of differently coloured road signs in the UK:
Whether hearing your kids say ‘I’m bored’ for the seventh time in an hour or struggling to make plans yourself, why not just follow the brown signs in your local area. You never know where you might end up…
Tourist attraction signs are an important feature of our roads to guide and promote some great days out. Next time you take a drive, keep an eye out for these signs and start making a mental list of where you could visit next…
https://thebrownsignway.blogspot.com/p/take-look-at-all-93-brown-sign-symbols.html
http://www.followthebrownsigns.com/
https://theorytest.org.uk/sign_cat/direction-and-tourist-signs/page/2/
Brown road signs are used to guide motorists to approved tourist destinations and visitor attractions throughout the UK.
A brown road sign indicates a place of interest or tourist attraction. These can range from theme parks and beaches to National Trust sites and zoos.
You will have to submit a formal application to the relevant local authority or highway agency that manages the road if you want a brown sign for your attraction.
Although paid for by the attraction itself, the relevant highway authority (e.g., local council or national agency like Transport Scotland, Welsh Government, etc.) is responsible for the sign’s upkeep.
The operator or owner of a tourist attraction usually pays for the manufacture, installation and maintenance of their brown sign.
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