Wilma Finlay (née Dunbar), co-founder of Cream o' Galloway and The Ethical Dairy, died on 30th March 2025, at Rainton Farm, Dumfries & Galloway, aged 69.
Energetic, determined, and compassionate, Wilma set out to make a difference. She founded two well-known farm diversification businesses in southwest Scotland and ran both with an uncompromising integrity, rooted in her commitment to environmental sustainability, animal welfare and ethical business practices.
Together with her husband David, she was instrumental in pioneering a new approach to dairy farming which keeps dairy cows and their calves together, creating Europe's largest cow-with-calf dairy and inspiring growing international interest in ethical dairy farming.
Born in 1955, Wilma was raised near Forres in Morayshire with her older sister, Heather. Academically gifted, she studied Mathematics at the University of Edinburgh before embarking on an industrial PhD at Aston University. However, the emerging computing industry soon called to her talents, and she thrived in the exciting commercial world of IT in the 1980s, working in Glasgow and Munich for tech companies including Comshare and Motorola.
Innovative in both her professional and personal life, Wilma tried an early form of computer dating which matched her with David Finlay. The algorithm proved remarkably accurate, leading to a partnership that was notable for the compatibility of their personal values and the depth of their love.
Wilma moved to Rainton Farm in the early 1990s, embarking on a personal and business partnership with David that would see them create one of Scotland’s most beloved tourism destinations. She decided that a ‘good quality ice-cream, made from simple ingredients’ would be the ideal product for the farm’s rich milk, launching their new venture at the Royal Highland Show in 1994.
The success of the ice-cream, combined with the farm’s beautiful location, saw visitors flock to Rainton, and a woodland adventure playground was built. With its go karts, drop slide, wooden walkways, and the hugely popular Go Boing bouncy nets, Cream o’ Galloway Visitor Centre provided freedom, fun and cherished memories to thousands of people each year.
Wilma encouraged the transition of Rainton Farm to organic dairy production for both environmental and economic reasons, a process which began in 1999, shortly after she and David got married. The couple subsequently became high-profile advocates for organic and nature-based farming.
Never comfortable with the standard industry practice of separating dairy cows from their newborn calves, Wilma also encouraged David to explore whether a cow-with-calf dairy farming system was viable. This led to an ambitious transformation of the farm beginning in 2008, which included the construction of a new dairy designed to allow cows and calves to remain together.
Although their initial 2012 pilot failed, they persevered and tried again. The farm implemented a refined version of their cow-with-calf dairy farming system in late 2016, which eventually proved to be highly successful. One of Wilma’s proudest achievements was the revival of traditional cheesemaking at Rainton, using the organic, cow-with-calf milk to produce artisan cheese, resulting in the launch of The Ethical Dairy brand in 2018. Their journey towards cow-with-calf dairy was told in "A Dairy Story," a memoir co-authored by Wilma and David in 2022 which describes how they faced life's challenges together.
Wilma's contributions extended beyond her own enterprises. As the founding Chair of Destination Dumfries & Galloway, and a former Director of Southern Uplands Partnership and Gatehouse Development Initiative, she worked tirelessly to promote the region and support other local businesses. Her service to Scottish tourism was recognised with an MBE in 2006, while the groundbreaking approach to farming that she and David developed has garnered numerous awards and international recognition, cementing their status as respected pioneers.
Wilma will be remembered as warm, intelligent, and principled, a woman who set herself high standards and consistently lived up to them. She faced cancer on multiple occasions, and she addressed her health issues with the same courage, resilience and pragmatism that characterised her approach to life. She was generous with her time and supportive of others, approaching challenges with integrity and determination.
Her life's work stands as an enduring testament to her belief that animal welfare, environmental sustainability, and commercial success need not be mutually exclusive. In every sense, Wilma accomplished what she set out to do, making a profound difference that will influence dairy farming for generations to come.
Wilma is survived by her husband David, and her stepchildren Mark, Margaret and Christine.