Loch Leven Equine Practice

Staff Profiles:

Hugh Somerville BVSc MRCVS
Hugh qualified from Bristol University in 1997 and before moving up to Scotland spent eight years working in dedicated equine practices down south. These ranged from smaller horse practices with basic operating facilities to bigger practices with purpose built operating facilities with a large throughput of equine surgeries. A nagging feeling to return to Scotland and join his parents resulted in the start of Loch Leven Equine Practice.

His main passion lies with the orthopaedic work and whilst he has missed the surgical aspects of the job recently, the satisfaction he has got from building the practice from scratch far outweighs the need for lots of very late nights operating on colic patients!

Away from work Hugh enjoys driving his toy car very fast round Knockhill and lots of outdoors activities including some not very high powered Golf sessions! Long walks at his parents’ home in Heriot and training sessions with his working Golden retriever take up the majority of his time off.

Iain McKenzie BVM&S MRCVS
We were very pleased to welcome Iain McKenzie BVM&S MRCVS to the practice in July. We have always said that we want to provide our clients with a veterinary service dedicated entirely to horses and therefore the selection of our vets is extremely important.

Iain comes with eight years of veterinary experience, working solely in large equine hospitals for the last six years. His first position after graduation from the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, Edinburgh in 1999 was in a busy mixed practice in Loch Lomond. Wanting to develop his equine skills further he took up a position at Troytown, a large equine hospital in Ireland. In 2003 Iain joined Scott-Dunn’s Equine Clinic in Berkshire where coincidently both Hugh and Mark have worked in the past. His main interests are the diagnosis, management and surgery of lameness along with equine internal medicine. His revious job involved providing the veterinary care at Ascot, Kempton, Epsom and Sandown Park racecourses, covering the polo matches at Guards Polo Club as well as looking after his own clients.  He is currently enrolled for his Equine Orthopaedic Certificate, a post graduate qualification which we are fully supportive of. Away from work Iain loves socialising, rugby and other outdoor pursuits which he enjoys with his son, Sam and spaniel, Orchy.

Liz Somerville
Liz married Hugh in May 2005 in Gloucestershire beforemoving up to Scotland to start the practice. Liz runs the office with the help of Patty dealing with client care, patient care and all aspects of managing a business. All of Liz’s previous jobs have involved horses whether in racing, eventing, rehabilitation or working as a nutritionist for Feedmark. Away from the office and she manages to keep busy with her own horse Wainak, riding out locally for Lucinda Russell, sitting on the committee for Scone Palace Horse Trials and when time permits helping out at Pony Club.  

Patty Fraser
Patty will probably be your first point of contact when you phone the vet. She is from a farming background and has spent 12 years amongst horses before coming to work at the practice. Having brought up three children she is well practiced at multitasking- a skill needed to keep the vets on top of their work. She hails from the north of Scotland but has been living in Cleish for the past 21years so knows her way around the area. When not answering phones she enjoys walking dogs, her own or other peoples and cooking for herself or other people!