19 August 2026
The only optometry practice on Orkney Island has a new optometrist after he learned about the vacancy through an Optometry Today article.
In February, OT reported on the plight of Clark Optometrists in Kirkwall – which had offered a range of incentives to fill the role, from temporary accommodation and covering relocation costs to the cost of two flights home per year for the successful candidate.
Optometrist, Andrew Gillies, started at Clark Optometrists in July after learning about the opportunity through the OT website.
“It immediately resonated with me as for a large proportion of my career I had worked for Graeme Clark’s [former practice partner of Clark Optometrists] brother, Bryan Clark, in South Shields and recall Bryan often talking fondly about Orkney,” Gillies shared.
Before taking up the role at Clark Optometrists, Gillies had worked for the past 25 years at a High Street multiple – beginning his career as a 20-year-old working on Saturdays.
“At 45 I felt it was a good time to try something new and explore a new aspect of optometry,” he said.
“I was particularly interested in independent practice along with the challenges of managing patients in a remote area and how that would change the way I practise,” Gillies added.
The optometrist acknowledged that his first few weeks on the job have been a steep learning curve as he becomes familiar with new processes and software.
“The resident team of optometrists couldn’t have been more accommodating in getting me up to speed and answering my numerous questions,” Gillies said.
“Throughout my career I have always worked with fantastic optometrists which has continued at Clarks,” he observed.
First impressions of Orkney Island
Reflecting on his first impressions of Orkney, Gillies described the island as a beautiful place with “changeable weather.”
“The people are incredibly welcoming and the sense of community was apparent from day one,” he said.
Work-life balance was a priority for Gillies when selecting the new role. He now works four days a week, with no weekend work and an alternating long weekend.
Since relocating to Orkney, Gillies has attended music festivals, county shows and gone snorkelling along the island’s coastline.
“I have joined a local kickboxing class with world class tuition and I’m looking to continue my passion with the Royal National Lifeboat Institution at the local lifeboat station which is only 100 metres from where I live,” he shared.
Gillies shared that island life is similar in many ways to living on the mainland – with familiar retail chains, sports centres, bars and clubs.
“But then there’s the history, the local independent shops and the sense of community,” he said.
“I found it strange at first when patients told me they had flown in for their eye test or had to be back for the ferry to another island,” the optometrist added.
He emphasised that while Clark Optometrists is remote, this does not result in providing an inferior level of care to patients.
“Clark optometrists are very well equipped and have a great team of skilled optometrists who are passionate about patient care,” he said.
“The relationship with secondary care is a close one. There is always support at the end of the phone and the ability to get expert advice remotely ensures maximum efficiency in patient care,” Gillies shared.
A welcome addition to the practice team
Clark Optometrists practice partner and optometrist, Isla Kirkness, told OT that practice staff are “delighted” to have Gillies on board.
“He's shown real enthusiasm not only for joining the practice, but for embedding himself in Orkney and embracing island life, which is exactly what we had hoped for,” she shared.
“We knew when we were recruiting that we were selling a lifestyle as much as a job, so seeing him genuinely embrace both has been really important to us,” the optometrist added.
Kirkness has recently taken over sole responsibility for the practice following the retirement of Graeme Clark.
“Having someone like Andrew join the team at this point has been a game-changer for me. His fresh and different perspective is already helping to shape the practice going forward, while his experience and enthusiasm have added another layer of support and stability to the team at a time of significant change,” Kirkness highlighted.
She added that Gillies’ adaptability has served him well in making the transition from working for a High Street multiple to an independent on a Scottish island.
“We're learning from each other, and his experience and perspective are opening up opportunities for the wider team to upskill, develop and broaden our horizons,” she said.
Wanted: the only optometry practice on Orkney Islands seeks an optometrist
Clark Optometrists will offer relocation expenses as well as the cost of two flights home per year for the successful candidate
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