Nicols Opticians, 97 Stirling Street, Alva

02/02/2026

Due to illness we are closed this morning. We will be open from 2pm onwards today. Apologies for any inconvenience.

27/01/2026

Due to illness we are closed today (Tuesday 27th January). Apologies for any inconvenience.

12/01/2026

Due to unforeseen circumstances we are going to be closed on Monday morning 9am-2pm. We will be open 2pm-5:30pm apologies for any inconvenience

22/12/2025

Latest Guess designer frames in stock - pop in and try them on!

22/12/2025

Wishing you all a lovely Christmas.

15/12/2025

Our Vice Chair, Richard Spruce, was pleased to welcome Alexander Stewart MSP to R.D. McFarlane & Nicols Opticians last week.

The visit provided an opportunity to discuss the role of community optometry, local access to NHS-funded eye care, and how practices support patients in their communities.

Thank you for taking the time to visit and engage with the profession.

17/11/2025

Did you know that almost 1000 plastic bottles have been removed from the ocean through our partnership with Coopervision contact lenses and Plastic Bank? Everytime you buy daily contact lenes made by coopervision (which are most of the contact lenses we supply) a donation is made to Plastic Bank. Plastic Bank are a social enterprise where plastic is collected by those in developing costal communities and those collectors receive a premium for the material they collect.

07/11/2025

New in today, more designer frames this time from the fabulous Ralph Lauren! We also have Radley, Rayban and Superdry. Pop in and have a look!

13/10/2025

We are closed on Monday 13th October for an autumn holiday.
We reopen 9am an Tuesday 14th October.

If you require emergency eye treatment while we are closed, please contact NHS 24 on 111

04/10/2025

https://www.facebook.com/share/1JsvX4TfsL/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Nearly 130,000 people benefited from free eye tests last year

01/08/2025

We are closed on Monday 4th, Tuesday 5th and Wednesday 6th of August. We are open again at 9am on Thursday 7th August.

If you feel you need urgent eyecare while we are closed, please contact NHS24 by calling 111

24/07/2025

👋 Meet Richard Spruce, Vice Chair of Optometry Scotland (since 2024)

Richard is an independent practice owner with practices in Alva and Selkirk. Before stepping into the Vice Chair role in 2024, he served as an Independent Representative on the OS Board for two years bringing his front-line insight and passion for patient-centred care to the national conversation.

🧠 “The best thing about working in optometry?”
"Never having two days the same. You never know who’s going to sit down in your chair or what problem you’ll be presented with — and that keeps it interesting.”

❤️ What he’s passionate about:
“Patient experience. We can and should do better to join up the patient journey across the NHS. Not a fan of bureaucracy that gets in the way of care.”

📣 If he could tell the public just one thing?
“Please phone first for an emergency appointment — don’t just turn up saying ‘the doctor said you'd see me now!’”

☕ Caffeine order: Milk, no sugar. Straight to the point.

🛠️ Favourite part of the job:
“Helping the person in front of me — solving a problem or setting them on the right path to get the help they need.”

🚆 Alternate career path?
“I once considered forensic science… until I realised it would take nine years of training and there were only two jobs a year in Scotland. That or a train driver!”

👏 Thank you, Richard, for your leadership and for always championing the patient journey — from practice to policy.