It was a fine spring day when we climbed up The Cobbler, the distinctive and popular Arrochar mountain that reaches 884 m high. The Cobbler is a wonderful hill that is full of character and charm and you can read more here. Thousands of people must walk by this memorial bench every year and read the fading inscription to Tam McAulay. The bench is generously placed on the steep zig-zags on the route up the mountain and is the perfect place to stop and sit and admire the fantastic view over Loch Long.

The view from the path up The Cobbler
Tam McAulay gave his time to the Arrochar Mountain Rescue Team and was a member of The Creagh Dhu Mountaineering Club. A keen mountaineer and climber, the warm obituary on UK Climbing’s website talks about a man who will be missed by family and friends and was not only, ‘Remembered for his wit and humour,’ but was also an agile climber and, ‘Devoted his time to photography, poetry, playing the accordion, literature, and local history. ‘ He had also competed in cycling time trials in his youth. Tam McAulay worked at the Esso Oil Terminal on the River Clyde and retired to Arrochar.

IN MEMORY OF TAM McAULAY 1946 – 2006 A WELL KNOWN MOUNTAINEER CLIMBER, REMEMBERED FOR HIS WIT AND HUMOUR. FROM ALL HIS FRIENDS AT THE ARROCHAR MOUNTAIN RESCUE TEAM
His obituary says, ‘Tam McAulay died on Wednesday 20 September 2006 whilst on a walking holiday on the Isle of Rhum. During a river crossing with a companion from Arrochar Mountain Rescue Team, Tam was swept over a waterfall. Members of Arrochar Mountain Rescue Team and Ian Nicolson, a fellow Creagh Dhu Mountaineering Club member, recovered his body on Sunday 01 October 2006.’