Reclusive spinster leaves £3m to charities

Published on Friday 14 December 2007 21:07

A RECLUSIVE spinster has left nearly £3 million to charity in her will.

Marion Wyllie, who died in April aged 93, lived in a sandstone tenement block in the Pollokshields area of Glasgow. Occasionally, she would make the short walk to Moira Jane's, a coffee shop around the corner from her flat, or visit the local greengrocer.

Having never married or had children, her death went largely unnoticed, even by neighbours.

Now details of Miss Wyllie's will reveal her generous donations to a raft of Scottish charities.

The retired painter and writer had amassed a 2,782,397 fortune, which will be distributed to good causes, including the Scottish branches of the Salvation Army and the Royal National Institute for the Blind.

The Salvation Army has been left one-quarter of her estate, plus the proceeds from the sale of her house, which is valued at 250,000. Her bequest stipulates the money should be used "for work with the aged in the city of Glasgow".

The Royal National Institute for the Blind and the National Arts Collection Fund were also left a quarter share of her estate, to be used for their work in Scotland. The remainder of the money will be split between the wildlife organisation WWF, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and the Royal National Lifeboat Institution.

It is understood that she inherited much of her wealth – she was the daughter of William Wyllie, a respected maritime artist, who was a considerable influence on her life and work.