A little more about us...
Living the Dream... a small but perfectly formed tea van situated
beneath the impressive Stoerhead Lighthouse on the coast of Sutherland.
We offer a great selection of freshly prepared food and drink - anything from a bacon roll to a freshly made pancake or a hot chocolate and a piece of homemade
cake.
For more details on what we have on offer click here
Why not pay us a visit - I'm sure we will have something that you will enjoy!
To find us follow these simple directions:
From the South: - follow the coastal route to Drumbeg from Lochinver. This road winds past Clachtoll and then up through Stoer village. At Stoer village Hall turn left towards the Stoerhead Lighthouse, and then after about a mile turn left again towards the Lighthouse. Continue along this road to the end and you will find the Lighthouse and the tea van.
From the North: - follow the coastal route from Kyelsku to Drumbeg and then to Stoer. At Stoer Village hall turn right towards Stoerhead Lighthouse and follow the directions as above.
PLEASE BE AWARE THAT THE CAR PARK GETS VERY BUSY SO PARK WITH CONSIDERATION FOR OTHERS AND ONLY OCCUPY ONE SPACE PER VEHICHLE. IF LARGE CAMPERVANS REVERSE IN THEY WILL FIT. DO NOT BLOCK ANY OF TRHE ACCESS ROADS/TRACKS AT ANYTIME AS THEY ARE USED 24 HOURS A DAY. THANK YOU
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About me.....
My name is Leigh and I bought the little blue tea van in March 2011 and I started serving for the first time on April 17th 2011. Since then my little business has gone from strength to strength thanks to all my wonderful customers - some who are new each year and others who come back time and again. Without all of you Living the Dream could not exist.
Moving to Assynt ( with my 3 dogs, Jack, Angel and Coco and my cat Becks) was a long held ambition ever since I had first visited in 1984 - so in now running a business and living here full time I really am 'Living my Dream'.
My dogs used to accompany me to the van every day. Sadly we lost Jack, my male dog in February 2013, and Angel my gentle girl in March 2014. Unexpectedly Coco sadly left us just before the 2016 season, leaving me without a doggy companion for the first time in 17 years. I hated being alone at the van so much that Burt soon arrived. He is a spanish greyhound or galgo cross rescued by Galgos Del Sol and adopted by me. My second adoptee Violet arrived from Spain in January 2017. She is a podenco cross and is full of energy. She and Burt get on so well . In 2015 Becks was also sadly lost from my little family but 2 new kittens, now beauitful cats by the name of Bill and Ben have joined my little family. As you can see from the photo below they all get on very well. Both dogs will come to work with me.
Moving to Assynt ( with my 3 dogs, Jack, Angel and Coco and my cat Becks) was a long held ambition ever since I had first visited in 1984 - so in now running a business and living here full time I really am 'Living my Dream'.
My dogs used to accompany me to the van every day. Sadly we lost Jack, my male dog in February 2013, and Angel my gentle girl in March 2014. Unexpectedly Coco sadly left us just before the 2016 season, leaving me without a doggy companion for the first time in 17 years. I hated being alone at the van so much that Burt soon arrived. He is a spanish greyhound or galgo cross rescued by Galgos Del Sol and adopted by me. My second adoptee Violet arrived from Spain in January 2017. She is a podenco cross and is full of energy. She and Burt get on so well . In 2015 Becks was also sadly lost from my little family but 2 new kittens, now beauitful cats by the name of Bill and Ben have joined my little family. As you can see from the photo below they all get on very well. Both dogs will come to work with me.
We even have a loo...
In July 2013 after a lot of hard work and determination and in collaboration with the Assynt Community Association I managed to build a small wheelchair accessible composting toilet in the corner of the car park beside my van.
The toilet is owned by the community but managed on a day to day basis by Living the Dream.
The reason for the Loo at the Light was to provide a much needed facility for visitors which would also raise money for the community. Hence the £1 charge for using the loo the first time. For this you also receive a date stamped souvenir card which then allows future use of the loo for just 50p. Since it opened the loo has raised over £4000 for good causes within Assynt
The toilet is owned by the community but managed on a day to day basis by Living the Dream.
The reason for the Loo at the Light was to provide a much needed facility for visitors which would also raise money for the community. Hence the £1 charge for using the loo the first time. For this you also receive a date stamped souvenir card which then allows future use of the loo for just 50p. Since it opened the loo has raised over £4000 for good causes within Assynt
Contacting us
If you want to get in touch either fill in the contact form, join us on Facebook, Twitter or drop me an email.
If there is something you want to chat about then call me on 01571 855224. I have no phone at the van (no landline and no mobile signal) so please call me out of opening hours or leave a message on my landline above.
If there is something you want to chat about then call me on 01571 855224. I have no phone at the van (no landline and no mobile signal) so please call me out of opening hours or leave a message on my landline above.
Some of our visitors are really inspired by Assynt and the surrounding area. A regular at the van George Watts, who comes every year with his family shared this brilliant poem with me this year and gave me permission to out it on here. I hope you all enjoy it:
The poems I write are tongue in cheek
Through this one I’ll describe our week
It starts with a break as we travel by car
And we are lucky to see three shooting stars
Getting soaking wet, fishing off rocks
Back to the cottage to wring out our socks
Soaking in bath water, coloured with peat
What relief it brings to cold tired feet
Feeding a coley to a friendly skua
What’s going through his head we are not quite sure
Watching an osprey who needs fishing tips
Porpoise and dolphin we’ve seen on our trips
Visiting a friend who’s ‘Living the Dream’
She now even sells tasty ice-cream
Rain sending water falls into full flow
Fast flowing streams to the sea they go
When the sun comes out, it’s a whole new place
With buckets and spades to the sea we race
Streams and dams we create on the beach
But quickly before the waves can reach
Listening to the waves as they sing
Deep sleep sweet dreams they always bring
Adventures we’ve had on our time by the sea
There’s no other place we’d rather be
Thousands of miles away there lays a fool
On a plastic sun lounger by a featureless pool
When he gets back to work what’s he top say?
‘How was your holiday?’ ‘Oh it was OK’
Our colleagues at work can’t stop us talking
About things we’ve seen exploring and walking
Although the fool may have been a lot hotter
We’d much rather catch a glimpse of an otter
The week goes so fast, we love our time here
It’s so much more than sun tans and beer!
The poems I write are tongue in cheek
Through this one I’ll describe our week
It starts with a break as we travel by car
And we are lucky to see three shooting stars
Getting soaking wet, fishing off rocks
Back to the cottage to wring out our socks
Soaking in bath water, coloured with peat
What relief it brings to cold tired feet
Feeding a coley to a friendly skua
What’s going through his head we are not quite sure
Watching an osprey who needs fishing tips
Porpoise and dolphin we’ve seen on our trips
Visiting a friend who’s ‘Living the Dream’
She now even sells tasty ice-cream
Rain sending water falls into full flow
Fast flowing streams to the sea they go
When the sun comes out, it’s a whole new place
With buckets and spades to the sea we race
Streams and dams we create on the beach
But quickly before the waves can reach
Listening to the waves as they sing
Deep sleep sweet dreams they always bring
Adventures we’ve had on our time by the sea
There’s no other place we’d rather be
Thousands of miles away there lays a fool
On a plastic sun lounger by a featureless pool
When he gets back to work what’s he top say?
‘How was your holiday?’ ‘Oh it was OK’
Our colleagues at work can’t stop us talking
About things we’ve seen exploring and walking
Although the fool may have been a lot hotter
We’d much rather catch a glimpse of an otter
The week goes so fast, we love our time here
It’s so much more than sun tans and beer!