Ceremony attended by hundreds of Tom’s family, friends and fans
Countryside legend Tom Weir’s statue has been unveiled on the bonnie banks of Loch Lomond in time for what would have been his 100th birthday.
The bronze statue situated in Balmaha Bay was revealed on 29 December by Tom’s widow 94 year old Rhona Weir at a ceremony attended by hundreds of people, who wore replicas of Tom’s signature red and white toorie hat, from all over Scotland.
They were joined by well-known outdoor writers and broadcasters Cameron McNeish and Jimmie MacGregor and were treated to music by popular Scottish minstrel Alistair McDonald who played some of Tom’s favourite music, including Loch Lomond and The Rowan Tree.
The statue was made possible after £70,000 was raised by the Tom Weir Memorial Group and compliments another statue of Tom in his birth town of Dunbar.
Unveiling the tribute, Rhona Weir 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.’’
Susan Taylor, administrator of the Tom Weir Memorial Group, added: “This special celebration and statue unveiling is the culmination of almost three years hard work by a dedicated group of volunteers who were determined to mark Tom’s contribution to enriching the lives of many tens of thousands of people with his writings and broadcasts on facets of Scotland’s rich and diverse heritage.
“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.”
The statue was sculpted by Sean Hedges-Quinn and the installation was coordinated by the conservation charity, Friends of Loch Lomond and The Trossachs.
