Animals and birds profit from widow's £3.9m legacy

Esther Gray, who died in last October, aged 91, had lived on her own in Dunoon since the death of her husband James, a Glasgow businessman, 20 years ago.

The couple had no children and in her will Mrs Gray instructed that much of the 3,861,056.87 she left should go to good causes.

The animal protection charity Scottish SPCA, the People's Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) will all receive more than 500,000 from the windfall.

Bequests will also go to the National Trust for Scotland and Cancer Research.

Mrs Gray also left instructions for lump sums of 250,000 to be given to three chosen friends.

The bulk of her wealth was held in a private stocks and shares portfolio worth 3.2m, while her home was valued at 205,000. Her will also detailed the value of her furniture, jewellery and other possessions and small amounts of cash held in various bank accounts.

Yesterday friends expressed disbelief at the extent of Mrs Gray fortune. One said the wealth she had accumulated was "staggering".

He said: "Esther was a very, very quiet person and very mannerly. She loved the outdoors and had travelled quite a bit with her husband in her younger days. But after his death she gradually became more and more reclusive and withdrawn.

"They had never had a family of their own and I think she would dearly have loved to have had children. She would have been a wonderful mother."

He added: "Esther was by no means extravagant and her wealth is quite staggering. She would never have shown any outward signs of wealth although she did come across as astute and well about herself."

Argyle and Bute MSP and education secretary Mike Russell paid tribute to Mrs Gray's generosity: "This will make an enormous difference to the charities concerned.

"There are always surprises in every community and this one will do a great deal of good to a whole range of people and animals who she cared deeply about."

Scottish SPCA chief superintendent Mike Flynn confirmed the charity had received a bequest of about 500,000 from Mrs Gray's estate.

"We are always extremely grateful when people remember us in their will as we don't receive any government or lottery funding so we rely entirely on the generosity of the Scottish public.

"Donations and gifts in wills allow us to continue to rescue, rehome and rehabilitate thousands of abused, abandoned and injured animals every year."

He said in 2010 the organisation received 6.8m from legacies.