Stewart Lamb Cromar, from Edinburgh, has achieved a lifelong ambition after Lego turned one of his designs into an official set.
It is a goal he has been working towards for more than a decade, and one he feared might never become reality after a detached retina left him with a visual impairment in 2020.
Lego has always been an important part of Stewart’s life. During some of the most difficult periods following his sight loss, the hobby helped him stay focused, motivated and creative. Today, Stewart is sharing his story to raise awareness of visual impairment and encourage others to seek support when they need it.
Living With Sight Loss
Stewart experienced significant sight loss after suffering a detached retina in 2020, a complication linked to his Type 1 diabetes. What followed was a series of surgeries and ongoing challenges, leaving him with permanent sight loss in one eye.
He explains: “I would love to raise awareness for people with visual impairment. 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.
“Losing my sight meant having to adapt to a completely new reality, and I found that incredibly difficult. There were some very dark days when I genuinely wasn’t sure how I was going to cope. As everything changed around me, I started desperately searching online for advice, support and someone who understood what I was going through.
“Before my sight loss, I had never heard of Sight Scotland. During lockdown, when things were at their toughest, I found myself searching for Scottish charities that could help.
As my situation became more serious, I realised I couldn’t face it on my own. Making that first call wasn’t easy, especially when you’re feeling vulnerable and overwhelmed, but looking back, it was one of the most important decisions I made.
“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.
“I had great support from my family, but I really needed to hear another voice who was removed from my inner circle but who genuinely knew what I was going through. I was really scared and felt so alone. When I made the phone call to Sight Scotland’s helpline and someone called me back, it made such a difference. Suddenly I found reassurance that help was out there, that I wasn’t alone, and that, yes, it was going to be hard but that I could get through it.
“I was still depressed, but I was given reassurance when I needed it most. They talked me through what I was going through, all the feelings I was experiencing, and told me about the help and support available. There was so much kindness and understanding from the support line. Finding that kind of support when you are struggling isn’t always easy, but it can make an enormous difference.
“Having someone listen without judgement, acknowledge what I was going through and reassure me that my feelings were normal helped me more than I can put into words. Looking back, I honestly don’t know where I would be today if I hadn’t made that call.
“A huge turning point for me was accepting that I needed a white cane and being shown how to use it properly. I kept bumping into things and walking into people who thought I was being rude, which I found really embarrassing.
It was difficult because using a white cane felt like a public acknowledgment of my disability. But it has huge benefits. It helps people understand that I have sight loss, even though it isn’t immediately visible, and makes everyday life much easier to navigate. Coming to terms with using a white cane was a significant step in accepting my visual impairment and adapting to a new way of living.
The charity also does fantastic work campaigning for change, from making streets more accessible for people with sight loss to helping secure free rail travel for companions of blind and severely sight-impaired people. Seeing the real difference it makes is incredible.”
Flora the Highland Cow
Known by many friends as “Mr Lego”, Stewart has built hundreds of models over the years and says his passion for Lego became even stronger after losing 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.
“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.”
In 2026, Stewart achieved something he had been working towards since first submitting designs to Lego more than 10 years earlier.
His model, Highland Hike, featured a Highland cow called Flora and was inspired by childhood family holidays in the Scottish Highlands. The design was selected as a finalist in a Lego Ideas challenge before being put to a public vote. Stewart’s entry won, meaning Lego chose it to become an official Lego set.
“I never thought this would be possible, I had been trying for so long. It shows what can happen if you keep going. 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.
“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.”
For more information please visit sightscotland.org.uk
