THE annual festival set-up in honour of Tom Weir was a resounding success with thousands of visitors flocking to a sun-kissed Balmaha Bay on Loch Lomondside.

The second ‘Weirfest’ and Scotland's Red Toorie Hat Festival was held on Saturday, June 18 and was a mixture of music, entertainment and family fun beside the iconic statue of Scotland's much-loved mountain man.

Held with the assistance of a Heritage Lottery Fund grant, headliners on the main musical stage were Jimmie MacGregor and Alistair MacDonald, as well as the Loch Lomond Ukulele Orchestra who added colour to the programme with red toorie hats. Visitors were also able to enjoy various wildlife demonstrations, while the chance to throw wet replica versions of Tom’s signature red toorie hat and following Tom’s Discovery Trail added some extra fun to the day.

Tom's widow Rhona Weir, 96, was also able to join in the day’s events at the site, which has attracted over 120,000 visitors since the statue of her late husband was unveiled in December 2014. It has recently been augmented with the launch of a new mountain garden and storyboards which tell Tom’s story and introduce visitors to the heritage of Balmaha Bay.

The work of 300 school children from the six primary schools around the loch was also celebrated with an exhibition showcasing their drawings and stories of Loch Lomond.

Susan Taylor, Administrator of the Tom Weir Memorial Group, said: “This has been another fantastic day in the already-rich history of this site, which only became a reality 18 months ago but has already proven to be an enormous hit with so many visitors to this iconic part of Scotland. Tom Weir would be thrilled to see so many visitors to Loch Lomond on a summer day like today, and equally we are just as delighted with the turnout.

Friends Chairman James Fraser added: “We are delighted with the bumper turnout of people who came along to this year’s Weirfest. We are also grateful to all exhibitors, performers, volunteers and to Sandy Fraser and his team at the Oak Tree Inn who all contributed to making the day such a great success.

“The effort to maintain the Tom Weir Statue and picnic area goes on and the funding raised from Weirfest will help us to maintain this popular site to a high standard throughout the coming year.”

Pictures courtesy of Paul Saunders.