One of Scotland’s largest independent mixed veterinary groups, Moray Coast Vets, is now owned by its loyal 65-strong team, after becoming an employee ownership trust. The transition coincides with the practice becoming the 70th member of XLVets, which is a community of independently owned veterinary practices.
Moray Coast Vets has spent more than four decades serving communities, pets and commercial livestock across Moray and a large part of the Scottish Highlands. The group has entered a new era by transferring ownership to an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT), ensuring it will remain independent.
In addition, joining XLVets means Moray Coast Vets will now work collaboratively with the community’s other members, sharing best practice, experience, knowledge and skills.
The 18 vets are supported by a substantial and dedicated team of nursing and client care coordinators, and the shares are now held in trust for the entire team. Operating from two practices in Nairn and Forres, supported by consulting branches in Lossiemouth and Balloch, the group provides an extensive mix of small animal, farm and occasional exotics work.
Mark Pearson, veterinary surgeon and director, said: “The decision to pursue employee ownership was fundamental to protecting our ethos and the quality of care we provide. We knew that remaining independent mattered to our clients, our team and our local community. For us, making our whole team stakeholders in our business, was the most sustainable way to preserve our culture, long-term goals and clinical autonomy.”
Mark joined the practice in 2008 after relocating from Cheshire for the outdoor lifestyle that he could enjoy in the Highlands, and he now leads the business alongside fellow director and vet, Jamie Mclaren. The pair had both been shareholders in the business prior to the EOT transition and continue to work as vets and directors, alongside practice managers, Debbie Reid and Rachel Finlayson who also play a vital role on the management board.
amie, who has been with Moray Coast Vets since the mid-2000s, said: “Our people are invested, literally and figuratively, in the future of the practice due to the EOT model. They have a clear voice, a sense of shared responsibility and a genuine stake in how we move
forward. That creates a level of cohesion and motivation that is difficult to replicate under other ownership structures.
“Employee ownership aligns with the nature of our mixed practice caseload. We have an extremely talented team who can turn their hand to everything, from farm visits and beef suckler herd work to small animal surgery and complex cases. Maintaining that breadth of expertise is only possible in an environment where people feel supported, valued and able to grow.”
Moray Coast Vets has seen significant growth in recent years, with a substantial rise in small animal caseload, fuelled both by post-pandemic pet ownership and significant population growth across Forres, Nairn and surrounding communities. New housing developments continue to attract families and professionals to the area, bringing increased demand for veterinary care.
At the same time, the practice retains a loyal base of progressive farm clients, predominantly beef and mixed beef-sheep enterprises with arable land supplying the local whisky industry. The seasonality of farm work combined with rising small animal demand has enabled Moray Coast Vets to grow its team whilst offering mixed, farm-only and small-animal-only career pathways. Recruitment remains active, with opportunities for vets and nurses who want to build long-term careers in the Highlands.
Mark added: “Looking ahead, we will invest in our Forres practice to expand consulting and surgical capacity. Early-stage feasibility work is under way with this project, with the aim of enabling continued growth without disrupting daily operations. Alongside this, our decision to join XLVets reflects our commitment to continuous improvement and collaboration. As an independent practice in a relatively geographically isolated area, we often found ourselves trying to solve complex operational and clinical challenges on our own. By joining XLVets we are connected with a community of like-minded practices who share knowledge openly. It means we can learn from others, share our own experiences and remain at the forefront of best practice.”
Jamie added: “It’s about being part of something bigger without losing what makes us who we are. A membership organisation like XLVets gives us access to shared expertise, training, benchmarking and support services, whilst also enabling us to retain the independence that our clients value and that our team thrives on.”
Andrew Curwen, CEO at XLVets, said: “It’s a joy to welcome the Moray team into the XLVet community. There can be no doubt that practices that are owned and run by people who live within their local communities, and who work cooperatively with other with like-minded professionals, can shine as valuable beacons of credibility, capability, integrity and worth.”
