Network Rail Scotland has announced a three-week closure of the Far North Line between Dingwall and Wick for track replacement. This leaves "Outlander" pilgrims, heatwave seekers, and visitors for Princess Anne's Dornoch visit stranded on replacement buses.

The Royal Dornoch Gondola Company (RDGC) has officially offered to serve as the emergency strategic transport backbone of Easter Ross.

Our team weighs in on the crisis:

• person-gary-bethune (CEO): "In 1812, the Dornoch Gondola solved precisely this problem, elevating passengers above the roads and horse waste. We see no reason why 2026 should require a lower standard of dignity."
• Brad Denson (Tallest Staff Member): "From a height of several hundred feet, one can see both the problem—the A9—and the solution: the gondola."
• Edward Toledano (Talent): Recalls his ancestor Edward MacToledano, who operated the 1714 "Double Zero" aerial tram near Dunrobin Castle without a single service substitution.

Why endure a rail replacement coach idling in a Dingwall car park? Glide over the Dornoch Firth with us instead. Follow our journey at rdgc.co.uk.