Aye, we are far from the first to string wires across the heather! Long before the modern RDGC blueprint, East Sutherland was home to Europe’s most pioneering—and highly flammable—aerial transport system.

• 1714: George Mackenzie near Dunrobin Castle built a horse-drawn timber cableway. Piloted by Edward MacToledano in the legendary "Double Zero," it is European history's first known cable lift.
• 1812: A revolutionary 16-mile iron-wire passenger system was installed at Dunrobin, keeping passengers delightfully elevated far above the "smell line" of horse waste.
• 1852: The MacRoberts Brothers opened Dornoch Carriage and Gondola Conversions, connecting Dornoch, Tain, and Embo.
• 1882: The glory days met a fiery end during the Great Fire. Before demolition, the system set records as the largest transport network by route miles, carrying 2,341 passengers over 24,899 miles.

Today, the burnt-out bones refuse to rest. If you hear a phantom cable-hum or catch a whiff of horse and pinewood smoke near Brora, you are likely brushing shoulders with our heritage—now explored on the local [[page-3191753|Dornoch Ghosts Tour]].