The mechanical structure of UKIRT was designed and built by Dunford Hadfields of Sheffield, UK, and the optics (originally providing f/9 Cassegrain and f/19 coude foci) were manufactured by the now-defunct firm of Grubb Parsons & Co. of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK, who pioneered the figuring of large thin mirrors in the process.

The telescope was officially opened in October 1979. Since then it has been steadily improved; by the early '80s it was performing several times better than its specifications required. After a programme of upgrades carried out between 1990 and 1998 it is currently delivering what is believed to be the best imaging performance of any ground-based telescope. Thanks to this and to a state-of-the-art instrument suite UKIRT is currently one of the most scientifically productive telescopes in the world, producing over 80 scientific papers per year.

UKIRT currently operates at f/36.4; details of its optical system are listed elsewhere.