Tom statue passes new milestone
300,000 visit lochside site
More than 300,000 people have visited a statue dedicated to Tom Weir.
The sculpture of the climber, author and broadcaster at Balmaha Bay was unveiled three years ago this month.
And the Loch Lomondside site has continued to evolve with the creation of a mountain garden named after Tom and his late wife Rhona, picnic facilities and storyboards.
It also had donation posts installed, which have collected almost £4500 for the Friends of Loch Lomond and The Trossachs.
The conservation and heritage charity maintain the site and meet its annual costs, together with Sandy Fraser from the neighbouring Oak Tree Inn.
The Friends worked closely with the Tom Weir Memorial Fund to raise almost £150,000 to transform the run-down picnic site.
Chairman James Fraser said: “The success of the site continues to exceed expectations and it has clearly captured the public’s imagination, making it a top visitor attraction on Loch Lomondside.
“Sadly Tom’s wife Rhona passed away this year but while she was alive she regularly visited the site and was delighted to see just how popular Tom’s statue and the mountain garden were with residents and visitors alike.
“The donation posts have been another welcome addition to the site and have assisted significantly with the cost of insuring the statue and maintaining the site to a very high quality by our local contractor Alexander Fraser and Sons.”
Susan Taylor of the Tom Weir Memorial Fund said: “When we first considered the idea of locating a statue in honour of Tom at Loch Lomond we could never have envisaged the success it would enjoy in its first three years.
“Tom Weir is a hero to so many people, not just in Scotland but further afield, and the number of visitors to the site proves exactly that.”
Tom, who died in 2006 aged 91, was best known for his long-running TV series ‘Weir’s Way’.
Tom is a hero to so many people, not just in Scotland