Timeline of Westwards Veterinary Practice
1910s
1919
With no veterinary service present in Kintyre, Kintyre Agricultural Society put forward a monetary grant to attract a veterinary surgeon to the area. The successful applicant is a Yorkshireman called Robert N Lewis, who had previously lost a leg as a result of a motoring accident.
1930s
1933
Robert’s son, George, qualifies as a vet and begins to practice in Inverness.
1938
George returns to Campbeltown to assist his now elderly father in running their Kintyre practice
1939
At the outbreak of World War II, George becomes a Captain in the 51st Highland Division. He is captured at St Valery, France, and spends five years in a POW camp. By the time he returns, his father has passed away, and he takes over the running of the practice.
1960s
1966
Although George has since been joined by Fen Sutherland as partner, his health is ailing, so the recently graduated Alastair Cousin joins, beginning a 43 year association with the practice.
1970s
1972
George Lewis retires, with the practice becoming Sutherland & Cousin – the first time in 53 years a Lewis has not been caring for the animals of Kintyre.
1980s
1982
Fen Sutherland retires, leaving Alastair Cousin as the sole partner in the business. Practice moves to current location, originally a car showroom which was refurbished to create two consult rooms, a theatre and kennels.
Practice introduces a sheep scanning service – our first imaging equipment.
1986
Calum Buchanan and Neil MacDonald become partners and the firm is renamed Cousin Buchanan and MacDonald.
1988
Current partner Donald Armour joins the practice, two years after graduating from Glasgow university.
1990s
1990
Our practice is developed to create a reception area where clients can be warmly welcomed and collect over the counter medication. Around this time we invest in our first x-ray equipment.
1991
Neil MacDonald leaves the partnership. In the same year, current partner Ruth Smith joined the practice as a new graduate vet. The partnership became Cousin & Buchanan – and we invested in our first cattle ultrasound, which had to be plugged into the mains and gave rather poor images!
1993
Donald joins the partnership and we become Cousin, Buchanan & Armour.
1997
As we continue to modernise, we introduce a morning surgery to give clients more choice of appointments and to improve our pre-op/admissions service.
1999
Calum Buchanan leaves the partnership, leading to another name change to Cousin & Armour.
2000s
2009
Alastair Cousin retires and Ruth joins the partnership. At this point we take on our current title – Westwards Veterinary Practice.
2010s
2014
Current partner Dominic Sharkey joins the practice as a new grad vet, spending five years with us before moving away for new experiences.
2020s
2023
After returning to Westwards the year before, Dominic becomes the third partner of Westwards Veterinary Practice, further securing the presence of a full service independent veterinary practice in Kintyre.
2024
Proud to have provided 105 years of continuous care for the animals of Kintyre... and counting!