Visually impaired man’s Highland cow design to be made into official Lego set

A Lego fan who was left partially sighted after a retinal tear has seen his dream of creating an official Lego set come true after winning the 2026 Lego Ideas competition.

Stewart Lamb Cromar, from Edinburgh, had been submitting designs to Lego for more than 10 years before finding success with his Highland Hike concept, which was inspired by childhood family holidays and features Flora, a Highland cow.

Lamb Cromar, who experienced a retinal detachment linked to Type 1 diabetes in 2020 and now lives with permanent sight loss in one eye, explained that Lego became increasingly important to him after he lost his sight.

“I have always loved Lego, and I was so worried that I would no longer be able to do it with my visual impairment. But in reality, it has driven me on,” he said.

He added: “Lego is much more than a hobby for me – it keeps me moving forward. I’m always trying new things and pushing myself, and it is actually a really practical, tactile, activity for someone with sight loss.”

Highland Hike was chosen as the Lego Ideas Rebuilding Outdoor Adventures 2026 winner after a public vote, and will now be turned into an official Lego model.

Lamb Cromar has created hundreds of Lego designs over the years – to the extent that he has gained the moniker ‘Mr Lego.’

He now wants to emphasise that visual impairment does not have to hold people back.

“The goal of having one of my models released as an official Lego set has been a genuine dream for over a decade,” he said.

“After all the setbacks, surgeries, and difficult times, to see Flora become a real Lego set is incredible.”

Lamb Cromar wants to encourage others living with visual impairments to seek support.

“Sight loss is an invisible disability, which is why it’s so important to talk about it, raise awareness of available support, and remind people they are not alone,” he said.

He explained: “Losing my sight meant having to adapt to a completely new reality, and I found that incredibly difficult.”

A phone call to Sight Scotland’s helpline provided reassurance and let Lamb Cromar know that there was help available, and he was later given support to use a white cane – something that he called “a significant step in accepting my visual impairment and adapting to a new way of living.”

“That’s the message I want to share with anyone going through something similar: support is there and it can make a real difference, so don’t be too proud or too scared to ask for help,” he said.

He added: “If I can help or inspire one person through sharing my story, that would be fantastic. Visual impairment doesn’t have to stop you achieving your goals.”