It's a Sign

This week saw the arrival of a sign for the castle. Not only is this a physical sign, but it is also a "sign" of something else. You can probably tell I am taking great delight in the engineered ambiguity of this blog entry's title. What it is a sign of, will be revealed in my next blog entry.

it's a sign

A sign is also the instigator of much philosophical debate. Does the building need a sign? The building is pretty obviously a castle and one that is in the hamlet of Balintore. I suspect that my intention is to underline to visitors and guests that they have arrived. There can be no ambiguity as the verbal utterance of "Balintore Castle" is now tied through a textual representation to the building.

I would contest that a sign enhances the reality, and thus improves the experience, of a visit. It also sets the spelling in stone (literally) which has, over the years, variously been Balentore and Ballintore. This is the castle directly telling you what her name is, not a map or a history book, so this must presumably have the greater authority. Christening is significant in the human domain, and is regarded as a rite of passage. The question is, what rite of passage, is Balintore Castle undergoing?

Glyphwise, only an Old English font would do! This is an example of where one does not make artistic choices, but where the building dictates the course of action, no-doubt coming from her gothic genesis.