Edinburgh Lego superfan’s decade-long dream comes true as his design becomes official set

An Edinburgh Lego superfan has achieved a lifelong ambition after having his design turned into an official set.

Stewart Lamb Cromar spent over a decade pitching ideas to the toy company before his Highland Hike model was selected following a public vote.

The success comes after Stewart suffered a detached retina in 2020 due to Type 1 diabetes, leaving him with permanent sight loss in one eye which forced him to adapt his building techniques, utilising text-based instructions that can be read by screen readers.

Stewart also creates tactile models designed specifically for people with visual impairments.

He said: “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.

“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.

“I build sensory models that people can touch and feel, and it has text-based instructions that can be read by screen readers. Through Lego, I’ve also met and helped other families affected by sight loss.

“At a recent exhibition, a young boy with a visual impairment kept returning to my display and, after speaking to his dad, I gave him some Braille Lego bricks.

“The boy could see that I was still creating all these models despite having a visual impairment myself, and it showed him that he could do it too.”

Stewart has now achieved something he had been working towards since first submitting designs to Lego more than 10 years earlier. His winning model features a Highland cow called Flora and was inspired by Stewart’s childhood family holidays in the Scottish Highlands.

The design was selected as a finalist in a Lego Ideas challenge before securing the public vote to become an official retail set.

“I never thought this would be possible, I had been trying for so long. It shows what can happen if you keep going,” he said.

“The goal of having one of my models released as an official Lego set has been a genuine dream for over a decade. After all the setbacks, surgeries and difficult times, to see Flora become a real Lego set is incredible.”

Stewart hopes his story will encourage others living with visual impairment to keep pursuing the things they love.

“No one chooses to be visually impaired. It is vital to make peace with it, try to be optimistic and be honest about the hard times because that is normal. Reach out for help because you will need it.

Stewart says he experienced significant difficulties adjusting to his condition during the 2020 lockdown, prompting him to contact Sight Scotland for assistance.

He credits the organisation with helping him navigate his new reality and accept mobility aids.

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

“When I made the phone call to Sight Scotland’s helpline and someone called me back, it made such a difference.

“A huge turning point for me was accepting that I needed a white cane and being shown how to use it properly.”