Eligibility Criteria
Recognition by VisitScotland
To be eligible for tourist signs, all tourist destinations must be recognised by VisitScotland. VisitScotland’s role in respect of brown signs is set out in the TSRGD, which is linked to the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 and the Road Traffic Act 1988.
The VisitScotland Quality Assurance Scheme was closed to new applications in 2024, and a digital application process introduced which retains the requirement for businesses to sign up to VisitScotland’s code of conduct and terms and conditions, and meet updated eligibility criteria. Where eligibility is demonstrated and agreed, VisitScotland will supply a letter of accreditation, which will subsequently enable the application for a brown tourist sign to be submitted to the relevant Home Traffic Authority, see chapter “Applying for Tourist Signing Approval”.
Information for tourist operators is available on the VisitScotland website or via email.
In addition, there are a number of criteria that have to be met in order for a tourist destination to be eligible to apply for tourist signs from Scotland’s motorways and trunk roads, these are as follows;
Location of Tourist Destination
Where the access to a tourist destination is from a local road, tourist signing from a motorway or trunk road will only be considered where there will be continuity of signing on all necessary local roads between leaving the motorway or trunk road and arriving at the destination. This means that the local authority with responsibility for the intervening local road network must also consider and agree to the erection of tourist signs on their roads.
Visitor Numbers
To be eligible for tourist signs on the Scottish motorway network, tourist destinations should normally receive at least 50,000 visitors a year, or in excess of 10,000 visitors in the peak month. In either case these thresholds should have been met in each of the previous three years. Please note that these visitor number thresholds apply only to motorways – there is no visitor number requirement for non-motorway trunk roads (A class roads).
Where a tourist destination has been established for less than 3 years or where it is a new destination and visitor numbers are available, Transport Scotland may at its discretion consider the projected visitor numbers in assessing eligibility. In the case of new destinations, VisitScotland accreditation will be required before the erection of tourist signs is approved.
Visitor Parking
Adequate vehicle parking should be provided either at the destination or in its vicinity to accommodate the volume of vehicles expected to visit the tourist attraction or facility at peak times. Where appropriate this parking should include provision for the parking of minibuses and coaches.
If public parking is to be used to provide some or all of the parking needs of the tourist destination, confirmation of permission from the owner or operator of the car park must be provided with the application.
Cross Boundary Signing
Where the route from a motorway or trunk road to a tourist destination crosses more than one local authority boundary, all affected local authorities must agree to the erection of tourist signs.
Further information on these matters is provided under the heading The Home Traffic Authority (One-Stop Shop) details of which are provided later in the chapter “Applying for Tourist Signing Approval”.