A statue of countryside legend Tom Weir has been unveiled on the banks of Loch Lomond to mark what would have been the 100th birthday of the naturalist, climber and writer.
Hundreds of supporters raised his signature red and white toorie hat at the ceremony, where his widow Rhona, 94, was the guest of honour.
Tom was fondly remembered in speeches by writers Cameron McNeish and Jimmie MacGregor as the bronze sculpture – complete with knapsack – was revealed at one of his favourite spots at Balmaha Bay.
Mrs Weir said she was delighted with the memorial to her late husband.
She said: “The level of detail and likeness to Tom is amazing and I am pleased the statue has been sited at one of Tom’s favourite spots on Loch Lomondside which inspired so much of his writings and broadcasts on Scotland’s great outdoors .
”I earnestly hope Tom’s statue and the associated picnic area and viewpoint will be a source of much pleasure to those who visit Scotland’s first National Park over the coming years and I would like to thank the many people from all walks of life and different bodies who have made this possible.”
Mrs Weir was presented with a miniature replica of the statue by sculptor Sean Hedges-Quinn, who was one of hundreds at the ceremony yesterday.
Tom Weir, who died in 2006, is regarded as “Scotland’s most popular mountain man” who introduced generations to Scotland’s outdoors through his adventures which were popularised in his Weir’s Way series.
Yesterday, a special musical tribute was performed by popular minstrel Alistair McDonald who played some of Tom’s favourite music, including Loch Lomond and The Rowan Tree.
Mr McNeish drew comparisons between Weir’s achievements and that of John Muir, the Scot who is credited with establishing the first national parks in America, to where he emigrated.
He said “Tom would have been 100 years old today and it’s interesting that he was born only a few days after the death of the great John Muir. The two men were so similar in many ways; in their passion for wild land and in their belief that we should look after and nurture the natural world as much as we could.
“Just as John Muir is remembered in his birth town of Dunbar with a statue in the Main Street so Tom will also be remembered with a statue on Loch Lomondside so that future generations will remember him and what he achieved for Scotland.”
Mr MacGregor said: “It is impossible to calculate the number of people who were introduced to the splendours of the Scottish countryside by Tom and we all owe him a great deal.”
Susan Taylor, administrator of the Tom Weir Memorial Group, said the statue had come about after three years of fundraising and planning.
She said: “The fact that we have raised over £70,000 is tribute to the high regard Tom is held in and we are grateful to the hundreds of knitters who donated thousands of Tom’s signature red and white toorie hats, which has been a great fundraiser and are very much in evidence today, and the thousands of other members of the public who have generously donated funds.”