31/10/2026
What’s your role at the practice and how long have you been part of the team?
Hello I’m James and I’m a vet within the Abercorn team! My main role is carrying out consultations at our main Portobello hospital and at the branch practices on Thursday and Fridays. I’ve been with Abercorn for the last 3 years and it has been such an amazing team to work with.
What’s your favourite part of the job?
I do enjoy medicine and it’s always engaging chatting to clients (and patients too actually!) in consults to try and solve any issues they may have. I think that’s one of the best feelings of the job - when you have managed to really fix something for someone (especially when it’s not been something straight forward) and get a patient back to their normal happy selves! I’m grateful to work alongside such incredible colleagues too who all work together to get the best outcomes for our patients - that makes a world of difference.
What’s your favourite animal to work with?
Of course we love all animals at Abercorn but if I really had to choose it would probably be our canine patients! Never a bad thought in their hearts and on good days you can always make that tail wag with an opportunistic biscuit - what a life! Having said that, our feline friends would be a very, very close second but you sometimes just have to work that wee bit harder to gain their affection (a biscuit just won’t do it!).
Do you have any pets? Tell us about them!
I’ve had many, many loved, cherished and sorely missed friends over the years but currently only have two family pets - Orla the dog and Elmo the cat! Orla is a Bolognese (a breed which originated in Bologna, Italy) and she is only 4 years old. She is a very sweet dog but has one significant arch enemy - the postman! Elmo is a Pixiebob who is 11 years old and a fun fact about him is that he has an extra toe (called polydactyly) which is a common trait for his breed! So it’s extra comforting when he wants to give you a cuddle!
What’s something people might be surprised to learn about you?
People are often surprised to learn that I play piano. I’m not particularly good—more of a joyful amateur who sits down, hits the keys and hopes something nice comes out—but it’s one of my favorite ways to unwind. I’m also an unofficial aspiring sommelier. I love learning about different w**e tasting notes and I’m slowly building a little collection of favourites. Turns out both hobbies pair pretty well together, in fact, that may be the reason for my poor piano playing!
