Our Story
This started in a garden on a slope during lockdown.
We just wanted to grow tomatoes, chillies and cucumbers. The bank in our back garden wouldn't take a polytunnel, and the polythene structures I'd worked with before didn't feel right.
Back in 2015, I co-founded Hempen, the UK's first organic hemp co-op. At a sister project, I'd seen domes being used for living in — and I knew instantly: domes are the strongest, most efficient way to enclose space. One day, I told myself, I'd build something meaningful with them.
During lockdown, I tried propping up a makeshift wall to support a polytunnel — before a neighbour gently pointed out it would all just slide downhill. That failure lit the spark.
With a good friend, we built the first prototype dome. We grew huge crops of tomatoes — but it was clear we needed more insulation and longevity. That's when I discovered triple-wall polycarbonate: light, double-layered, near-unbreakable, and able to last decades. Perfect.
That one dome grew into a vision.
Today, Highland Domes have won three innovation awards and supported many families, growers, and smallholders across the Highlands and Islands to become more food sovereign, resilient, and connected to the land.
We're not just building domes — we're building futures. Circular, regenerative, and deeply rooted.