Our Story
The name Goskirk has been associated with eye care in the Highland for over 40 years. In the early 1980s Frances (Frankie) Goskirk began the business we know today.
After raising her family, Frankie worked as an ophthalmic optician joining the John Lochore Ophthalmic Opticians that started in 1968 in Golspie. Here she provided eye care services in Golspie and often single-handedly in remote clinics in North-West Sutherland; clinics that still run today. When John Lochore retired, Frankie took over the Golspie practice and relocated to Duke St in Golspie.
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In the late 1980s, Frankie's son Donald left to study Optometry and Vision Science in Glasgow, graduating in 1992 and found work in the then Glasgow Eye Infirmary as well as regular work in independent Opticians practices in the area. In 1995 Donald took over the Dingwall practice that is still running today, and began to help his mother Frankie with rural clinics and in Golspie.
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In 1997, with Frankie retiring, Donald, and his then business partner Euan McGinty, bought over the Golspie practice as well as running the practice in Dingwall. They also purchased a clinic in Aviemore and were approached to buy an established practice in Inverness after the optician Ian Wylie retired. At the turn of the Millennium, Goskirk & McGinty increased to 4 locations.​
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In the 2000s, the Dingwall branch moved to a larger, more modern premises and, after Euan McGinty emigrated to practice in Canada, Colin Pettinger, a junior partner stepped in to jointly run the business, creating the Goskirk Pettinger name we know today.
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In the 2010s with the practices becoming ever-busier, Donald and Colin took the opportunity to purchase the old newsagents on Golspie Main St and relocated the Goslpie clinic to the larger premises. In Inverness, after 11 years on Union St, the Inverness clinic was relocated to a more suitable premises on Academy St in 2021.
The Goskirk family business continues to thrive with 3 busy locations in Dingwall, Golspie and Inverness. We pride ourselves in our rich history of eye care in the Highlands, continuing businesses that were started over 50 years ago in each location, with the Goskirk name being proudly above the door for over 40. We pride ourselves in our expertise, innovation, and our commitment to our local communities, which continues. We look forward to welcoming you at one of our clinics soon.