Mixed Veterinary Surgeon – Small Animal Focus, 4-Day Week – Scottish Borders – £40,000–£60,000 DOE

A brilliant opportunity to join a friendly, family-feel mixed practice in the Scottish Borders — with a genuinely excellent rota, strong facilities, and a real focus on team wellbeing. 🐾🐄

About the Practice

This close-knit mixed practice in the Scottish Borders is primarily small animal focused, with a mixed on-call component covering a well-established farm client base of beef, sheep and a small amount of dairy work, plus goats and the occasional camelid. There is no equine work involved.

The practice maintains an open, honest and collaborative culture, with individual interests and career goals genuinely encouraged. There will be a requirement to occasionally work at two other nearby sites, both just a 20-minute drive away.

The small animal facilities are well equipped, including DR X-ray, a new ultrasound machine, dental X-ray, bronchoscopy and gastroscopy equipment, and multiparameter monitoring. The practice has a growing orthopaedic caseload and regularly performs advanced soft tissue procedures in-house.

The purpose-built Large Animal Unit is equally well stocked, with Easi-Scan ultrasound scanners, bull and tup fertility testing equipment, in-house hospitalisation facilities including a calf warmer, and a faecal egg count kit. Pool cars are provided for farm visits, so there's no need to use your own vehicle.

The out-of-hours service is well supported by a dedicated, experienced and proactive on-call nursing team.

About the Role

This is a permanent, full-time position offering a genuinely excellent work-life balance:

• 4-day working week
• Two days finishing at 5:15pm, two days at 7:15pm
• No routine weekend consulting
• Weekends on call 1 in 8 (Friday 7pm to Monday 8:45am), with the following Friday off
• Weeknights on call 1 in 7

Flexible rota arrangements can also be discussed to help create the right balance for the right candidate. 🙌

Why the Scottish Borders?

This part of the Scottish Borders offers a wonderful blend of rural charm and city accessibility. It's just 45 minutes from Edinburgh, making it easy to enjoy everything the capital has to offer, and around an hour from Newcastle for those wanting variety further south. 🚗 The surrounding countryside is genuinely stunning, with fantastic walking, cycling and outdoor pursuits right on the doorstep, alongside a notably lower cost of living than many city locations — making it a brilliant place to put down roots.

What They're Looking For

They are looking for an enthusiastic, personable Veterinary Surgeon with 2+ years of experience and excellent communication skills, who enjoys both companion animal work and large animal practice. A genuine team player who values collaboration and is keen to develop their own clinical interests.

What They Can Offer You

✅ Salary £40,000–£60,000 DOE

✅ 5 weeks holiday plus bank holidays and birthday leave 🎂

✅ RCVS and VDS fees paid

✅ Generous external CPD funding plus an extensive free online CPD programme

✅ Career progression opportunities

✅ Enhanced sickness pay and enhanced family leave

✅ Employer pension contribution scheme

✅ Electric car salary sacrifice scheme and Cycle to Work scheme

✅ Employee Assistance Programme and Mental Health First Aiders across the practice

✅ Eyecare voucher scheme and free annual flu jab

How to Apply

If you're looking for a mixed role with a brilliant rota, strong facilities and a genuinely supportive team — in one of the most beautiful parts of Scotland — this is well worth a conversation.

Get in touch with Ciaran today:

📧 ciaran.drew@gvcvets.com 📞 01392 793241 👤 Ciaran Drew – Global Veterinary Careers