Tom Weir’s Rest at Balmaha Bay was turned into a sea of red on Saturday, April 30 as people turned out in droves wearing Tom’s signature red toorie hats to witness and celebrate the opening of a new Mountain Garden.

The garden was officially opened by John Muir look-a-like Lee Stetson, and The Scots Magazine editor Robert Wight.

Tom's widow Rhona Weir, at the age of 96, was also able to join the gathering to witness the latest addition to the £130,000 transformation of Tom Weir’s Rest site, which has been sensitively and creatively developed by two charity organisations - the Friends of Loch Lomond and The Trossachs and the Tom Weir Memorial Group - following an extensive fundraising campaign.

Speaking at the Mountain Garden launch, Lee Stetson, who was in Scotland and is walking the John Muir Way as part of the centenary celebration of the US National Parks Service, said: “It is a pleasure to be asked to be involved in these events, which mark the completion of a remarkable project in honour of an outstanding man.

"Tom was born only a few days after the death of the great John Muir and there is a clear sense that Tom’s work in Scotland was a continuation of the legacy that Muir left in the United States, something which I know was fittingly recognised with his receipt of the inaugural John Muir Lifetime Achievement Award."

Ms Weir said the statue was "already a very special memorial" to her late husband, but the addition of the garden in both their names was " a great honour".

She added: "I know Tom would have been delighted to see the result of all the hard work that has been put in by so many people to make this possible.

“I have been thrilled by how popular the statue has been since it was unveiled, and now with the presence of the Mountain Garden, it is an even better place for people to come and enjoy an idyllic part of Scotland which was has been such a great favourite of Tom’s and mine’’

Susan Taylor, Administrator of the Tom Weir Memorial Group, added: “The statue has already proven to be a huge success with over 100,000 visiting the site since it was first unveiled in December 2014. The Mountain Garden is the latest testament to the hard work of all our volunteers and supporters who have helped to make this happen.

“Tom Weir is rightly known as Scotland’s most loved mountain man and this is reflected in the popularity of this site and the large turnout today. We are delighted with how today went but will not be resting on our laurels and will continue to work to ensure this site remains a special place for generations to come. We will now switch our attention to Weirfest (Scotland’s Red Toorie Hat Festival), which takes place on the site on Saturday, June 18 and should be another enjoyable day.”