THE life of Tom Weir, the late broadcaster and climber, is to be celebrated with an open-air festival held in his honour at one of his most beloved beauty spots.

The inaugural Weirfest and Scotland's Red Toorie Hat Festival will take place beside the statue dedicated to the TV presenter at Balmaha Bay at Loch Lomond on May 30.

Around 40 musicians are expected to perform, with folk artists, rock acts and a ukulele orchestra among those scheduled to take to the stage.

The event will also include outdoor craft and cooking demonstrations featuring local fare and some of Weir's favourite foods. Activities for children include a Tom Weir treasure hunt, storytelling and woodcraft.

Weirfest will be free but donations will go towards the fundraising drive by the Friends of Loch Lomond and The Trossachs group to pay for further path and signing improvements in the area.

Susan Taylor, administrator of the Tom Weir Memorial Group, said: "We are very excited about staging our first-ever Weirfest event and hope to see a good turnout of folk wearing Tom's signature red toorie hats.

"They were very much to the fore at the statue unveiling in late December and have become a key feature of visits to the Tom Weir statue at Balmaha with a steady flow of visitors wearing them.

"Hopefully this can be another occasion which recognises why Tom Weir is Scotland's most loved mountain man."

Weir, who died in 2006, is best known for presenting Weir's Way, which ran between 1976 and 1987.

During his career he received many prestigious awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Eagle Award from the British Outdoor Guild of Travel Writers. He was also the first recipient of the John Muir Award for Lifetime Achievement.