About Us
Our Journey
Growing up in Alaska, I spent my childhood dreaming of becoming a veterinary surgeon opening my own practice one day. Hill City Vets is the culmination of years of hopes, endless day dreams and countless brainstorming sessions finally coming to fruition.
In our brand new premises, it has been my goal to re-imagine the veterinary clinic experience into a design-forward, calming space dedicated to the human animal bond and the pure joy that our furry friends bring to us! We are a fiercely (proudly) independent practice where the focus of our small, talented team is continuity of care and getting to know our patients inside and out. Through our collective experiences, we have learned that a veterinary clinic should be more than just care for your pets, it is a community where we can come together, share experiences and treat your animals as our own family.
I am so lucky to call Edinburgh home and since qualifying from the Royal Dick School of Veterinary Studies in 2010 I have developed my career both in primary and emergency critical care medicine. I particularly enjoy imaging and surgery, but I also find great joy in teaching students and young veterinary professionals. My partner and our three boys have grown up in the Shandon neighbourhood and we have spent many hours having fun in Harrison Park, usually with our dachshund side-kick, Pickle, in tow. We are so excited to come full circle opening Hill City Vets here and cannot wait to welcome you with your pets or just for a chat over coffee. We feel so fortunate to be a part of this thriving community and look forward to being here for many years to come.
Lindsay Larson, Owner and Clinical Director
Meet the Team
Led by Lindsay Larson, our experienced team are as passionate about animals as you are and committed to the health of every pet that visits our clinic.
Lindsay Larson
BVM&S, MRCVS
Lindsay is the face behind Hill City Vets, but Pickle is definitely the true inspiration! From the sausage dog logo to creating a cosy, non-vet, veterinary experience my little doggy best friend was the main consideration. She’s a well travelled pup and has even been back and forth to America several times! Pickle is the big sister to three wild and fantastic boys, and when I am not in the clinic my partner and I love exploring the great outdoors, camping and travelling with our gang. I love sports, coffee, and lazy Sunday mornings with my family and am always on the hunt for the next perfect brunch spot. If you ever have a question or a suggestion for something you would like to see at Hill City, please don’t hesitate to ask!
Julia Henken
BVM BVS PGCertSAOphthal MRCVS
Dr Julia Henken is opening Eye Right Referrals, a brand new fully independant Veterinary Ophthalmology referral service in Edinburgh.
Julia is an Advanced Practitioner and certificate holder in Veterinary Ophthalmology. She qualified as a veterinary surgeon in 2011 and has worked exclusively as an Ophthalmologist for the last 6 years in Fife and adores all her canine and feline patients. She will always go over and above to save their eyes and improve their lives.
Julia loves every aspect of Veterinary Ophthalmology but especially enjoys creating beautiful cosmetic and functional eyelids for animals with eyelid problems, and giving dogs their sight back with life changing cataract surgery. She prides herself in achieving excellent success rates in cherry eye surgery in particular with a technique she has perfected over the years.
Her clinic runs in Edinburgh on Mondays all day at Hill City Vets with services covering every aspect of small animal veterinary ophthalmology including: cataract assessment and surgery, cherry eye, entropion/ectropion, distichiasis, corneal ulcers, glaucoma, lens luxation and dry eye. She also provides care for complex medical eye conditions such as uveitis, feline herpesvirus and immune mediated diseases.
Alice
BSc(Hons), RVN and Practice Manager
Alice is originally from Bristol but has settled here following graduation in 2011, where she first started working with Lindsay. She loves Edinburgh and can often be found cycling the city, coffee in hand, in search of beautiful views and hidden gems. Alice has a Dachshund cross called Agnes Bean who loves food and is the best nap buddy. She enjoys travelling, keeping fit and creating delicious recipes (especially eating anything containing a combination of chocolate and peanut butter). Alice enjoys all aspects of veterinary nursing but her job role at Hill City Vets also includes managing the day to day admin, meeting and greeting our furry friends and a wee sprinkle of social media management as well! Alice is currently on sabbatical in Australia but is returning to us end of this year!
Stephany
BSc(Hons), RVN
Stephany hails from the beautiful Emerald Isle but has been living in Edinburgh for the past 6 years with her partner and their little cat called Saffy. She graduated from Edinburgh Napier University in 2018 with a BSc honours degree in veterinary nursing. Steph has a passion for all areas of her profession but enjoys nurse consults, speaking with clients and helping you understand your furry friends better. When she is not working you can find her out walking and exploring all Edinburgh has to offer, expanding her indoor plant collection (possibly obsession!) and experimenting with new recipes in her kitchen.
“Lindsay has been our vet for the past 12 years. I’ve always felt safe knowing that she is the one taking care of our dog. She always takes time to talk things through and explains processes that I don’t understand. I couldn’t think of a better person to trust my dog’s care to!”
Louise Hampton