Our Values

Eyewear To Be Proud Of

Opened in 2001 the Founding Principle of the practice has always been to help our patients choose the best specs they’ve ever had. We want you to have eyewear to be proud of. Robert is so passionate about sourcing the best possible eyewear that he regularly travels all over Europe to hand-select the frames we offer in practice.

Whenever I’m not working to give you the best specs you’ve ever had, I like to travel. I could never take a staycation, I’d just laze about and snack too much and then Harry, our Labrador, and I would both get fat. If I’m going to sit about doing very little, I’d like to do it on a Spanish beach, a Parisien Boulevard, or an Italian Piazza.

The people who live in these places have just got it sussed. I love their laid-back pace of life. You can start with an aperitif (in Italy my new favourite tipple, an Aperol Spritz, is typically served with a meat platter which most would consider a meal itself), then the starter, followed by the main (enough to feed a family if you’re in Greece), then, of course, a baklava, a crème brulee, or an affogato to round it all off. This whole process usually takes about two bottles of wine and at least three hours. And it always happens in the most beautiful places. Sun shining, nice cars going by, and fantastic people-watching opportunities. The effortless style of our continental neighbours is really something to be admired.

As much as I love my job, I really don’t want these holidays to end. In fact, I always do what I can to bring a little slice of these places home with me. Greek feta fills the fridge, Illy coffee wakes me up in the morning, and there’s usually a tin of confit de canard in my bag when I’m back from France (Harry loves it when we’re back from France).And now I’m doing what I can to bring back something which I can share with you: that continental style. ‘The best specs you’ve ever had’ is more than just a cheeky marketing slogan, I really want to offer you eyewear you can be proud of, frames which will make people stop and say “oh I love your glasses”. When I started off as an optician in Edinburgh and Glasgow it was hard to give customers this. Not that these places lack style, or that they don’t have café culture (if you don’t mind the rain topping up your glass), there just wasn’t the same choice of colours, shapes, or ‘wow!’ factor as you’ll find in Paris or Copenhagen or Venice.

Fortunately, working for a German firm opened my eyes to all of this choice on the continent, and after almost two decades of hard work on behalf of my own practice, I am now pleased to offer what, I’m sure you’ll agree, is the most stylish selection in greater Edinburgh. From the bold shapes of Caroline Abram, through the playful colours of Woow!, to the je ne sais quoi of La Font, we’ll have something to make walking through our dreich streets feel like a stroll down the beachfront promenade in Nice.

Let me get you an espresso, I’ll see if there’s a bit of baklava in the fridge, and let’s see what zesty, eye-catching, and fun glasses we can find to let you bring a bit of continental chic home.

Eyewear To Be Proud Of
Robert Callander Eyewear To Be Proud Of
Robert Callander free eyewear consultation