Ian Cameron is one of the UK’s leading contact lens specialist and has held the title of Contact Lens Practitioner of the Year. He also steered his award-winning team to the coveted title of UK Practice of the Year, one of a number of accolades held by Cameron Optometry.

With an extensive list of qualifications to his name, Ian is an expert in various complex eye conditions and was one of the youngest optometrists in the history of the organisation to be made a fellow of the British Contact Lens Association, giving his patients additional confidence in the care he gives.

His post-graduate diploma in Contact Lens Practice paved the way for further study in Independent Therapeutic Prescribing. In having this unique qualification, Ian is able to take his patients on the complete journey from clinical assessment and diagnosis to determining the clinical management of their condition and writing the appropriate prescription, where necessary. Under Ian’s stewardship, Cameron Optometry became the first practice in Scotland to have six optometrists who can independently prescribe in this way.

Ian takes pride in the team he builds around him and enjoys sharing his knowledge and experience with his colleagues, while also learning from them. He invests in market leading equipment to ensure the practice maintains its position as a leader in the field. His expertise is highly sought after, with many patients with complex, and often rare, conditions being referred to him for treatment.

Ian commutes to and from work on his motorbike but away from the practice, his two sons and daughter keep him on his toes. He also enjoys going to the gym and running with his wife or taking part in endurance events, such as Tough Mudder with other members of the Cameron Optometry team.

Gillian, our clinical lead optometrist, joined Cameron Optometry in 2011.

Like the other optometrists at the practice, Gillian is one of few opticians in the UK to have completed her diploma in Independent Prescribing, which allows her to manage patients to completion by writing her own prescriptions.

In addition to carrying out eye examinations and fitting a multitude of different types of contact lenses, Gillian also covers emergency eye care and handles complex contact lens cases through the Lothian Hospital Eye Service.

Gillian leads the practice’s Myopia Management team and is hugely passionate about reducing rates of myopia in children in the UK.

Glaucoma is one of Gillian’s primary areas of interest and she is proud to be a part of the new Scottish Guidelines for Glaucoma team. Always keen to enhance her skills, Gillian added a certificate in Primary Careopthalmology from Edinburgh University to her extensive list of qualifications in 2015.

Away from work, Gillian is an avid tennis enthusiast who enjoys watching live events almost as much as she enjoys playing the sport herself. She also joins her Cameron Optometry colleagues in taking part in endurance events, although she has put them on hold recently as she welcomed her first child in early 2020.

Heather is one of the longest serving members of the Cameron Optometry team having arrived at the practice in August 1994.

Her commitment over the last two decades has allowed her to provide the highest standards of care, while forming lasting relationships with her patients and their families. In addition, her extensive knowledge and expertise make her an invaluable support to our new patients, as they join the practice. In 2019, she completed her Independent Prescribing qualification so, like our other optometrists, is able to prescribe medication to patients.

Heather works with a very broad spectrum of patients from carrying out routine eye exams to providing highly specialised contact lens fittings. Through our work with the Lothian Hospital Eye Service, Heather has worked in partnership with them for over 20 years, in particular fitting a wide range of specialist complex medical lenses for hospital patients. This work has allowed Heather to develop her specialism in medical and complex contact lens fitting, especially for keratoconus and post corneal grafting. She is also one of just a handful of optometrists in Scotland experienced in the moulding and fitting of prosthetic shells. She is regularly visited by those who have failed to find solutions to their complex conditions and her expertise in specialist contact lenses has a life-changing effect some patients.

When Heather is not at work supporting her patients, spends much of her time with her two children.

Claire joined Cameron Optometry in 2014. Like all our optometrists now, Claire is an independent prescriber, meaning she can prescribe any eye care medication patients may require.

It is Claire’s goal to deliver exemplary care and service to her patients while using the latest technology and products available, making her the perfect fit for Cameron Optometry. As its suppliers do not restrict the practice, Claire enjoys being able to find the best product to suit each patient – even, for example, if they require a different brand of contact lens in each eye.

She spends much of her time fitting multifocal contact lenses and receives much satisfaction finding solutions for those who have issues reading, many of whom have thought there was no solution.

She enjoys the challenge of managing unusual contact lenses and complex prosthetic lenses. Claire’s knowledge and skills also extend to fitting night lenses (ortho-k) which provide overnight vision correction and she was one of the first optometrists in Scotland to specialise in this area.

Claire’s positive approach and strong team values make her a firm fixture in the Cameron Optometry Tough Mudder team and when not at work or competing in endurance events, she enjoys spending time outdoors with her husband and teenage children.

Rebecca joined the practice in May 2019 with an impressive background in eye care. Originally from Mullingar in Ireland, Rebecca gained her BSc (hons) optometry degree from the Technological University of Dublin before moving to Scotland to begin her career in optometry.

Her career has seen her work mainly with an independent optometrist group has gained valuable experience. In addition to over 15 years experience, she has several further qualifications to her name. Like our other optometrists, she holds her independent prescribing qualification, which means she can prescribe medication as required, as well as having abetter understanding of how existing medication patients are taking may impact on their vision. She also completed the MSc in Primary Care Ophthalmology in 2017 which Gillian Bruce also completed last year. In addition to these optical qualifications, she also holds a Certificate in Medical Education which she obtained in 2018.

As well as working with Cameron Optometry three days a week, she also holds a research position at the University of Dundee which is linked to NHS Education for Scotland. In this role she works as one of the postgraduate optometry tutors whilst undertaking some additional research.

Home for Rebecca is now East Lothian where she enjoys beach life. She is an enthusiastic walker having recently returned from her second week of walking the Camino de Santiago de Compostela and plans to return soon. She also enjoys touring in her campervan, walking and cycling to see all the beautiful corners of Scotland.

By coincidence, she also takes part in an annual Christmas choir charity fundraising event with NHS Education Scotland, which is run by our former managing director, Donald Cameron OBE.

In January 2021, the practice welcomed highly regarded optometrist, Alexandra Young. Alexandra has an impressive array of qualifications including a BSc (hons) in Optometry and Vision Science, the independent prescribing qualification and an MSc (distinction) in Primary Care Ophthalmology from The University of Edinburgh. She has also been accepted on the Paediatric Eye Care Certificate course with Ulster University, and is hoping to begin her studies for the NESGAT glaucoma qualification. She has recently written two research papers which have been accepted for publication – one in the Royal College of Ophthalmologists’ journal Eye and another in the Journal of Glaucoma.
Alexandra also works at the Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion in ophthalmology and looks after children in the paediatric service. She also screens paediatric patients for uveitis, a form of eye inflammation associated with juvenile idiopathic arthritis. More recently she began working with glaucoma patients at the hospital, so is experienced in treating complex eye conditions. She also worked alongside Ian Cameron at the Edinburgh Emergency Eye Care Treatment Centre during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Outside of work Alexandra enjoys cycling and baking. She also loves to travel and is a novice astrophotographer, and is looking forward to being able to go back to Sweden and Norway to chase the aurora borealis.

Lorna is a director at Cameron Optometry and joined the practice in 2011. She works hard behind-the-scenes to take care of the administration of the business and coordinate projects within the practice, such as IT restructuring and decor in the Georgian premises.

The term “family” is a fitting way to describe the Cameron Optometry team and Lorna enjoys working closely alongside her brother, Ian, to ensure that the business continues to grow and establish itself as a recognised benchmark for optometry in Scotland and the rest of the UK.

Lesley has been a member of the Cameron Optometry family for nearly three decades, having joined our team in 1994.

Prior to her arrival, she trained as a dispensing optician in the United States, before gaining a diploma of credit to become a qualified optometric clinical assistant in July 2002.

Her decades of experience mean she is well equipped to dispense glasses to our patients and she, like all of our staff members, played a central role in helping us to secure the AOP UK Practice of the Year award.

Carol is a qualified dispensing optician who joined Cameron Optometry in 2014. As our practice manager, she ensures the smooth running of Cameron Optometry.
When it comes to dispensing, is her job to interpret optical prescriptions written by our optometrists and offer advice to patients on lens types, spectacle frames and styling. She uses iPad dispensing to provide patients with a smooth experience selecting their new frames.
Carol takes pride in her work, particularly in introducing new frame collections to the practice, ensuring we always offer a wide variety of brands to suit our varied patient base. She enjoys all aspects of her role, especially helping our patients find the perfect frames to fit into their lifestyles.

Heather joined Cameron Optometry in January 2015 and quickly settled into her role. She is on hand to assist our patients in the wear and care of their contact lenses. She has specialist expertise and training in helping children adapt to wearing contact lenses, effectively managing their potential anxieties and concerns.

Heather thoroughly enjoys her role and took particular delight from teaching one of our more senior patients and his family how to insert and remove a contact lens that helped him to see properly for the first time in many, many years. Heather said it was a humbling experience to play a small role in what was a significant life-changing event for the gentleman.

We welcomed Gill as our head of retail in 2016. She holds the Fellowship Diploma of the Association of British Dispensing Opticians and has worked in the optical industry in various roles. She has vast experience both in dispensing contact lenses and glasses.

Most recently she worked for a British eyewear designer. In this role she gained valuable experience which she is already using to ensure Cameron Optometry stocks an unrivalled range of frames.

She is hugely passionate about vintage eyewear and enjoys sourcing beautifully crafted frame, often with a vintage feel. Aside from her optical experience, Gill is very well travelled, having lived all over the globe.

We welcomed Angie to our accounts team in 2015. She is responsible for monitoring and recording all of the business’s financial transactions so is a vital part of our expanding practice. Before joining Cameron Optometry, Angie held a similar post in another family-run business utilising her degree in Accountancy and Finance.
Angie is an enthusiastic gardener and is also very involved in her local church, teaching Sunday School and singing in the church choir.

Jane joined the Cameron Optometry team in February 2014. In her role as an administrative assistant she is responsible for managing databases and processing NHS forms, to ensure our eligible patients can access government funded sight tests. Jane can regularly be seen helping her colleagues on the reception desk and assisting the contact lens team.

The March 2015 solar eclipse is one of many highlights for Jane during her career at Cameron Optometry. In particular, seeing the street outside of the practice busy with passers by, who were watching the unique event safely thanks to the equipment and advice on offer from Jane and other members of the Cameron Optometry team.

When she isn’t at Cameron Optometry, she loves a good walk with a view. No wonder she hasn’t left Edinburgh!

Amy encourages patients to step out of their comfort zones. Patients benefit from her style guidance as they select their new eyewear from our independent boutique, the Frame Room. She is becoming very knowledgable about trends in the eyewear industry and has a particular interest in independent fashion designers so understands the benefits of artisan brands.
Amy is also responsible for pre-screening, performing vital scans and tests prior to a patient’s appointment with one of our optometrists. She is currently undertaking her training is dispensing.

Birgit joined the team in 2020 having gained five years experience at another optical practice. Originally from Tallinn, Estonia, she moved to Scotland in 2014. In her role as an optical assistant, Birgit is responsible for the vital pre-screening tests and scans which our patients undergo prior to their appointment with one of our optometrists. She is also responsible for front-of-house and you will no doubt see her in some capacity when you visit.
Living in East Lothian, she enjoys long walks in the area, exploring the beautiful coastline. She also loves baking, and has recently taken up jewellery making.

Emma is an experienced optometrist specialising in behavioural optometry and practicing optometric vision therapy. She is one of only two optometrists in Scotland who are accredited to the British Association of Behavioural Optometrists (BABO), and she is also a member of the American Optometric Extension Program Foundation.

She holds a diploma in Sports Vision and is a facilitator on courses held by BABO as well as a member of the BABO education committee. Emma regularly receives referrals and is called upon to provide behavioural optometry expertise and opinion to other professionals including teachers, occupational therapists and fellow optometrists.

The newest member of our team, Sophie, grew up in Melbourne, Australia and moved to Edinburgh in 2019 where she has quickly settled.

An avid knitter, she also loves being outdoors hiking and running, as well as trying out new restaurants in Edinburgh.

Originally born in Northern Ireland, Allison has made Scotland her home over the last 30 years. She had a long and successful career as a dental nurse, latterly a dental practice manager, so brings with her a wealth of relevant experience. She is enjoying the opportunity to work more closely with patients again, after her period in management, in particular in her pre-screening role.

An avid fan of cross stitch and crochet, she also loves to bake so will be an especially popular addition to the cake-loving team! She balances that with a passion for running and dogs. She also loves music, singing with her local church, joining a very musical team at the practice.

Jess is the most well-travelled member of our team, with Mexican and German parents, she grew up in Germany, before moving to North Carolina where she worked with children. The Netherlands was next, followed by a move to South Africa where she gained a bachelor's degree in hospitality management. A job in Scotland brought her over here in 2013 and she's not put roots firmly down down. Unsurprisingly, she can speak several languages.
Keen to move out of the hospitality industry and to work in health care, playing a role in supporting the local community, she jumped at the opportunity to work at the practice and has already been an invaluable addition.
Married, with two children, she loves good food, as well as dabbling in painting, stitching and knitting.