Following a Random Brown Tourist Sign in Scotland to visit the 'Maid of the Loch'

While at Loch Lomond in Scotland on Sunday 20th November I made a point of following a random Brown Tourist Sign (as recommended by Amanda of the excellent Follow The Brown Signs website) to the intriguingly named 'Maid of the Loch'.

Photo: I noticed that Brown Tourist Signs in Scotland feature a Thistle in a blue oval, rather than being plain brown with white text and/or images 

I found out by having a look in the visitors leaflet for Loch Lomond that the Maid of the Loch was the last Paddle Steamer to be built in Great Britain.

Launched on the Loch in 1953 the ship is officially now an historic ship and was placed on the "Designated Vessels List" (which recognises ships of "substantial heritage merit with regional and local significance") in 2004.

Unfortunately on my visit the ship was not open for viewing as it is closed during the winter and will reopen at Easter 2012.

Loch Lomond also has a shopping centre, Sea Life centre, a couple of Minigolf courses (which I didn't get to play on this visit), restaurants, play area and on my visit there was a farmer's market too.

Links:
- Maid of the Loch Official Website
- Follow The Brown Signs Website
- The Brown Sign Way - A Website and Blog Dedicated to Tourist Attraction Signs

"A very British “keep calm and carry on” brown sign…." at the Follow The Brown Signs Blog

One of the Brown Tourist Signs I spotted on the way to play BIG Golf against my rival Simon 'Practice' Hall at Stockwood Park in Luton has made it onto the Follow The Brown Signs Blog.

You can check out the Blog Post at "A very British “keep calm and carry on” brown sign…."

Stockwood Park Big Mini Golf Match-up - Gottfried vs. Hall

I recently faced-off against fellow Lutonian Simon 'Practice' Hall in a match-up on the 9-hole 'Mini Golf' (Pitch & Putt) course at Stockwood Park in Luton.

In the one-round contest I defeated Simon 35-57 in sunny but slightly windy weather conditions.

One of the Brown Tourist Signs pointing the way to Stockwood Park Golf Centre has taken a bit of a bashing and looks quite different to how it did last week!

The course was the 30th played on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour back in August 2007.

The Brown Sign Way - A Website and Blog Dedicated to Tourist Attraction Signs

I recently discovered the website and blog of The Brown Sign Way via some facebooking related to Minigolf.

The Brown Sign Way and Follow The Brown Signs are written by Amanda Hone and are well worth a look if you’re interested in travelling, signs (obviously), the UK & new and interesting things to do.

Before checking out the The Brown Sign Way blog I wasn’t aware there were a grand total of 93 different types of Brown Sign Symbols, ranging from 10 Pin Bowling, to Museums, to Windmills, to Zoos, with Golf also included, but not specifically Crazy or Mini Golf in the ‘93’.

Looking through our photo archives from the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour (and beyond) I found a few examples of Brown Signs I’ve snapped en route to, or at, places we’ve travelled to.

I found that the excellent Strokes Adventure Golf Course in Margate, Kent (course played #34) has the most photographed Brown Signs in my collection.

 

There are probably many more Brown Signs we’ve passed by on the way to some destination, or been side-tracked by on one of our many road trips around the UK.

Photo: The Brown Sign at the Merlewood Hotel (Gwesty) in Saundersfoot, Wales (the location of an unplayed Miniature Golf course on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour)

Check out the who, what, how, when, where’s section on the The Brown Sign Way blog to find out more about these useful tools for pointing tourists in the direction of attractions.

Photo: The Brown Sign (and a White one too) at Conyngham Hall Park, Knaresborough

On our road trip around the Welsh coast in August 2009 we spotted this Brown Sign (below) in Penarth that shows just one of the many different ways that Miniature Golf (and variations such as Pitch & Putt, Minigolf and Crazy Golf) can be spelled in the Welsh language.

The Crazy Golf at the Rhylstone Gardens in Shanklin Old Town on the Isle of Wight (#65) is the most well signposted Miniature Golf course I've found to date, boasting seven signs on the walk to the course!

As well as Brown Signs in our photo archive, my search also turned up a number of other signposts (and the like), which I’ve snapped away at as they say something to do with Miniature Golf.

Photo: A Black Sign showing the way to the Crazy Golf course in Tonbridge, Kent 

Photo: A Blue Sign showing the way to the Putting course at Greenhill Gardens in Weymouth, Dorset 

Photo: A White Sign pointing towards a Miniature Golf course in Penarth, South Wales 

Photo: A 'non-standard' Brown wooden sign at the entrance to the Crazy Golf course in Tredegar Park, Newport, Wales (oddly stating it's a Putting Green!?)

Link to the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Links to The Brown Sign Way & Follow The Brown Signs

I'm also a fan of the Missin Letters Blog which looks for signs that are missing letters in them.

I've also had a number of photographs that I've taken over the years published for one odd reason or another in a number of media and newspapers (such as the 'broke' Ladbrokes in Stevenage Old Town).