Ross and Cromarty (), is an area in the

Highlands and Islands The Highlands and Islands is an area of Scotland broadly covering the Scottish Highlands, plus Orkney, Shetland, and the Outer Hebrides (Western Isles). The Highlands and Islands are sometimes defined as the area to which the Crofters' Act o ...

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

. In modern usage, it is a

registration county A registration county was, in Great Britain and Ireland, a statistical unit used for the registration of births, deaths and marriages and for the output of census information. In Scotland registration counties are used for land registration purpose ...

and a

lieutenancy area Lieutenancy areas (), officially counties and areas for the purposes of the lieutenancies, are the separate areas of the United Kingdom that are appointed to a lord-lieutenant – a representative of the British monarch. In many cases they have s ...

. Between 1889 and 1975 it was a

county A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...

. Historically,

Ross-shire Ross-shire (; ), or the County of Ross, was a county in the Scottish Highlands. It bordered Sutherland to the north and Inverness-shire to the south, as well as having a complex border with Cromartyshire, a county consisting of numerous enc ...

and Cromartyshire were separate counties, with Cromartyshire comprising a number of disconnected tracts of land scattered across Ross-shire. The two counties shared a

sheriff A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland, the , which is common ...

from 1748, and were both included in the Ross and Cromarty constituency from 1832. They were formally united into a single county called Ross and Cromarty in 1889. The mainland part of the county had a coast to the east onto the

Moray Firth The Moray Firth (; , or ) is a roughly triangular inlet (or firth) of the North Sea, north and east of Inverness, which is in the Highland council area of the north of Scotland. It is the largest firth in Scotland, stretching from Duncans ...

, and a coast to the west onto

the Minch The Minch () is a strait in north-west Scotland that separates the mainland from Lewis and Harris in the Outer Hebrides. It was known as ("Scotland's firth") in Old Norse. The Minch's southern extension, which separates Skye from the midd ...

. Much of the mainland is sparsely populated, including parts of the

Northwest Highlands The Northwest Highlands are located in the northern third of Scotland that is separated from the Grampian Mountains by the Great Glen (Glen More). The region comprises Wester Ross, Assynt, Sutherland and part of Caithness. The Caledonian Cana ...

mountains. The mainland's principal towns are all on the east coast, including

Dingwall Dingwall (, ) is a town and a royal burgh in the Highland (council area), Highland council area of Scotland. It has a population of 5,491. It was an east-coast harbour that now lies inland. Dingwall Castle was once the biggest castle north ...

(the county town),

Alness Alness (, ; ) is a town and civil parishes in Scotland, civil parish in Ross and Cromarty, Scotland. It lies near the mouth of the River Averon, near the Cromarty Firth, with the town of Invergordon to the east, and the village of Evanton to ...

Cromarty Cromarty (; , ) is a town, civil parishes in Scotland, civil parish and former royal burgh in Ross and Cromarty, in the Highland (council area), Highland area of Scotland. Situated at the tip of the Black Isle on the southern shore of the mout ...

Fortrose Fortrose is a town and former royal burgh on the Black Isle in the Highland (council area), Highland council area of Scotland, about northeast of Inverness. The town is known for its ruined 13th-century Fortrose Cathedral, cathedral, and as ...

Invergordon Invergordon (; or ) is a town and port in Easter Ross, in Ross and Cromarty, Highland (council area), Highland, Scotland. It lies in the parish of Rosskeen. History The town built up around the harbour which was established in 1828. The area ...

and

Tain Tain ( ) is a royal burgh and parish in the County of Ross, in the Scottish Highlands, Highlands of Scotland. Etymology The name derives from the nearby River Tain, the name of which comes from an Indo-European root meaning 'flow'. The Gaelic n ...

. The largest settlement on the west coast was the village of Ullapool. The county also covered parts of the

Outer Hebrides The Outer Hebrides ( ) or Western Isles ( , or ), sometimes known as the Long Isle or Long Island (), is an Archipelago, island chain off the west coast of mainland Scotland. It is the longest archipelago in the British Isles. The islan ...

, principally the

Isle of Lewis The Isle of Lewis () or simply Lewis () is the northern part of Lewis and Harris, the largest island of the Western Isles or Outer Hebrides archipelago in Scotland. The two parts are frequently referred to as if they were separate islands. The t ...

, including the town of

Stornoway Stornoway (; ) is the main town, and by far the largest, of the Outer Hebrides (or Western Isles), and the capital of Lewis and Harris in Scotland. The town's population is around 6,953, making it the third-largest island town in Scotlan ...

. The neighbouring counties were

Sutherland Sutherland () is a Counties of Scotland, historic county, registration county and lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area in the Scottish Highlands, Highlands of Scotland. The name dates from the Scandinavian Scotland, Viking era when t ...

to the north and

Inverness-shire Inverness-shire () or the County of Inverness, is a Counties of Scotland, historic county in Scotland. It is named after Inverness, its largest settlement, which was also the county town. Covering much of the Scottish Highlands, Highlands and s ...

to the south. The county ceased to be used for local government purposes in 1975. Since then, the mainland has been part of the

Highland Highlands or uplands are areas of high elevation such as a mountainous region, elevated mountainous plateau or high hills. Generally, ''upland'' refers to a range of hills, typically from up to , while ''highland'' is usually reserved for range ...

region, which became a single-tier

council area {{Unreferenced, date=May 2019, bot=noref (GreenC bot) A council area is one of the areas defined in Schedule 1 of the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994 and is under the control of one of the local authorities in Scotland created by that Ac ...

in 1996. The Outer Hebrides parts of the county became part of the

Western Isles The Outer Hebrides ( ) or Western Isles ( , or ), sometimes known as the Long Isle or Long Island (), is an island chain off the west coast of mainland Scotland. It is the longest archipelago in the British Isles. The islands form part ...

, which since 1998 has used only the

Scots Gaelic Scottish Gaelic (, ; endonym: ), also known as Scots Gaelic or simply Gaelic, is a Celtic language native to the Gaels of Scotland. As a member of the Goidelic branch of Celtic, Scottish Gaelic, alongside both Irish and Manx, developed ou ...

version of its name,

Na h-Eileanan an Iar The Outer Hebrides ( ) or Western Isles ( , or ), sometimes known as the Long Isle or Long Island (), is an island chain off the west coast of mainland Scotland. It is the longest archipelago in the British Isles. The islands form part ...

. The pre-1975 county boundaries are still used for certain functions, being a registration county. There was a

local government district Local may refer to: Geography and transportation * Local (train), a train serving local traffic demand * Local, Missouri, a community in the United States Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Local'' (comics), a limited series comic book by Bria ...

called Ross and Cromarty from 1975 to 1996, which was a lower-tier district within the Highland region, covering most but not all of the mainland part of the pre-1975 county. The Ross and Cromarty

, which prior to 1975 had been the county, was redefined in 1975 to be the Ross and Cromarty district plus the neighbouring

Skye and Lochalsh Skye and Lochalsh () was a local government district, created in 1975 as one of eight districts within the Highland region in Scotland. It include the Isle of Skye and the Lochalsh area on the mainland. The main offices of the council were in P ...

district. The registration county and lieutenancy area therefore have slightly different definitions. Notable differences are that the registration county includes the Isle of Lewis and Kincardine, which are not in the lieutenancy area, whereas the lieutenancy area includes the

Isle of Skye The Isle of Skye, or simply Skye, is the largest and northernmost of the major islands in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. The island's peninsulas radiate from a mountainous hub dominated by the Cuillin, the rocky slopes of which provide some of ...

, which is not in the registration county. The lieutenancy area is in extent.

History

Before 1889

The mainland part of Ross and Cromarty broadly corresponds to the ancient province of Ross. This area was claimed by the Scottish crown from 1098, having previously been under Norwegian overlordship. It was initially included within the shire of Inverness following its incorporation into Scotland. By the mid-13th century there were sheriffs based at Cromarty and Dingwall, both within the province of Ross, but each appears to have had only a small area of jurisdiction around those towns, rather than the larger territories usually given to sheriffs. The Sheriff of Inverness was therefore still responsible for most of Ross. The position of Sheriff of Dingwall did not endure. After a couple of abortive attempts, the rest of Ross was eventually separated from Inverness-shire in 1661, being given its own Sheriff of Ross and becoming Ross-shire. Ross-shire and Cromartyshire 1861 map

The interests of landowners led to some variations in the 1661 definition of Ross-shire from the old province of Ross. In particular, the Isle of Lewis had not been in Ross but was included in Ross-shire on account of being owned by Kenneth Mackenzie, 3rd Earl of Seaforth, a major landowner in Ross. Conversely, an area north of the

River Beauly The River Beauly (, ) is a river in the Scottish Highlands, about 15 km west of the city of Inverness. It is about 25 km long, beginning near the village of Struy, at the confluence of the River Farrar and the River Glass, Strathglass ...

including Beauly and Kilmorack had been in Ross but was excluded from Ross-shire on account of being owned by

Clan Fraser of Lovat Clan Fraser of Lovat ( ) is a Highland Scottish clan and the principal branch of Clan Fraser. The Frasers of Lovat are strongly associated with Inverness and the surrounding area since the Clan's founder gained lands there in the 13th century. ...

, based in Inverness-shire. Likewise the Ferintosh estate on the Black Isle was made an exclave of

Nairnshire The County of Nairn, or Nairnshire, () is a Shires of Scotland, historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area of Scotland. The county was named after Nairn, its only town. The county was used for local government until 1975 when the ...

on account of being owned by the Forbes family. The small shire of Cromarty (which still just covered that town and its immediate vicinity) retained its independence. Cromartyshire was significantly enlarged in the late 17th century to gain numerous separate tracts of land scattered across Ross-shire which were owned by George Mackenzie, Viscount of Tarbat, who owned the barony of Cromarty. Following the

Jacobite rising of 1745 The Jacobite rising of 1745 was an attempt by Charles Edward Stuart to regain the Monarchy of Great Britain, British throne for his father, James Francis Edward Stuart. It took place during the War of the Austrian Succession, when the bulk of t ...

, the government passed the

Heritable Jurisdictions (Scotland) Act 1746 The Heritable Jurisdictions (Scotland) Act 1746 (20 Geo. 2. c. 43) or the Sheriffs Act 1747 was an Act of Parliament (United Kingdom), act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom passed in the aftermath of the Jacobite rising of 1745 abolishing ...

, returning the appointment of sheriffs to the crown in those cases where they had become hereditary positions, as had been the case for the Sheriff of Cromarty. The scope for a major landowner or clan chief to control the office of sheriff, which had been the major cause of Cromartyshire being separated from Ross-shire, was therefore greatly reduced. From 1748 the government merged the positions of Sheriff of Ross and Sheriff of Cromarty into a single position. Despite sharing a sheriff from 1748, Ross-shire and Cromartyshire remained legally separate counties. They retained separate

Commissioners of Supply Commissioners of Supply were local administrative bodies in Scotland from 1667 to 1930. Originally established in each sheriffdom to collect tax, they later took on much of the responsibility for the local government of the counties of Scotland. ...

(established in 1667), and from 1794 each appointed their own

lord-lieutenant A lord-lieutenant ( ) is the British monarch's personal representative in each lieutenancy area of the United Kingdom. Historically, each lieutenant was responsible for organising the county's militia. In 1871, the lieutenant's responsibility o ...

s. From 1860 the commissioners of supply for the two counties were directed to work together on delivering some functions, notably relating to prisons.

County

The county of Ross and Cromarty was created under the

Local Government (Scotland) Act 1889 The Local Government (Scotland) Act 1889 ( 52 & 53 Vict. c. 50) is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which was passed on 26 August 1889. The main effect of the act was to establish elected county councils in Scotland. In this it fol ...

, covering the combined area of the two former counties of Ross-shire and Cromartyshire. The new county came into being on the passing of the act on 26 August 1889, from when the previously separate commissioners of supply for each former county merged into a single body, and the last Lord Lieutenant of Ross-shire, Kenneth Smith Mackenzie, became the first Lord Lieutenant of Ross and Cromarty. The act also established elected county councils, which came into effect in 1890, taking over most of the functions of the commissioners (which were eventually abolished in 1930). The new Ross and Cromarty County Council held its first official meeting on 8 May 1890 at

Dingwall Sheriff Court Dingwall Sheriff Court is a former judicial structure in the High Street, Dingwall, Highland, Scotland. The complex, which was used as the headquarters of Ross and Cromarty County Council as well as the local courthouse before being converted f ...

, which had been built in the 1840s as the main courthouse for Ross-shire and had also served as the meeting place for the commissioners. Kenneth Smith Mackenzie, already the lord lieutenant and a major landowner in the county, was also appointed the first

convener The chair, also chairman, chairwoman, or chairperson, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a Board of directors, board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by ...

of the county council. The act also led to a review of boundaries, with

exclave An enclave is a territory that is entirely surrounded by the territory of only one other state or entity. An enclave can be an independent territory or part of a larger one. Enclaves may also exist within territorial waters. ''Enclave'' is s ...

s being transferred to a county they actually bordered, and parish and county boundaries being adjusted to eliminate cases where parishes straddled county boundaries. The main exclaves in the area prior to the act had been the many parts of Cromartyshire scattered across Ross-shire, which were resolved as a result of the two counties merging into one. After the merger, there still remained an exclave of

at the Ferintosh estate on the Black Isle, whilst the parish of

Urray Urray () is a scattered village and coastal parish, consisting of Easter, Old and Wester Urray and is located in the county of Ross-shire, Ross in the Scotland, Scottish council area of Highland Council area, the Highland. Urray is also a paris ...

straddled

and Ross and Cromarty. Ferintosh was transferred to Ross and Cromarty, and the parts of Urray in Inverness-shire were transferred to the Inverness-shire parish of Kilmorack. These boundary changes (and others to eliminate exclaves in parish boundaries) took effect in 1891. Despite the creation of Ross and Cromarty in 1889, the

Royal Mail Royal Mail Group Limited, trading as Royal Mail, is a British postal service and courier company. It is owned by International Distribution Services. It operates the brands Royal Mail (letters and parcels) and Parcelforce Worldwide (parcels) ...

used 'Ross-shire' as the name of the postal county for the mainland part of Ross and Cromarty, including the parts which had been in Cromartyshire. Postal counties were officially discontinued in 1996. Although the county was officially called Ross and Cromarty, the names 'Ross County Council' and 'Ross-shire County Council' were both also used for its county council in the media. Ross and Cromarty County Council built itself a new headquarters at County Buildings in Dingwall in 1965.

Since 1975

Local government was reformed in 1975 under the

Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 The Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 (c. 65) is an Act of Parliament (UK), act of Parliament of the United Kingdom that altered local government of Scotland, local government in Scotland on 16 May 1975. The act followed and largely impleme ...

, which replaced Scotland's counties,

burgh A burgh ( ) is an Autonomy, autonomous municipal corporation in Scotland, usually a city, town, or toun in Scots language, Scots. This type of administrative division existed from the 12th century, when David I of Scotland, King David I created ...

s and landward districts with a two-tier structure of upper-tier regions and lower-tier districts for most of Scotland. A single-tier structure of island areas was used for

Orkney Orkney (), also known as the Orkney Islands, is an archipelago off the north coast of mainland Scotland. The plural name the Orkneys is also sometimes used, but locals now consider it outdated. Part of the Northern Isles along with Shetland, ...

Shetland Shetland (until 1975 spelled Zetland), also called the Shetland Islands, is an archipelago in Scotland lying between Orkney, the Faroe Islands, and Norway, marking the northernmost region of the United Kingdom. The islands lie about to the ...

and the

. The mainland of Ross and Cromarty became part of the

Highland Region Highland (, ; ) is a council area in the Scottish Highlands and is the largest local government area in both Scotland and the United Kingdom. It was the 7th most populous council area in Scotland at the 2011 census. It has land borders with t ...

, whilst the Outer Hebrides parts (the landward district of Lewis and burgh of

) became part of the Western Isles. The part of Ross and Cromarty which went to the Highland region was split between three lower-tier

districts A district is a type of administrative division that in some countries is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions ...

. *Ross and Cromarty district, covering most of the mainland of the pre-1975 county, and the nearby islands that were not transferred to the Western Isles. *

district, covering the

district from

plus the South West District from Ross and Cromarty (comprising the parishes of Glenshiel, Kintail, and

Lochalsh Lochalsh is a district of mainland Scotland that is currently part of the Highland (council area), Highland council area. The Lochalsh district covers all of the mainland either side of Loch Alsh - and of Loch Duich - between Loch Carron and Lo ...

). *Sutherland district, covering most of the pre-1975 county of

, plus the parish of Kincardine from Ross and Cromarty. As part of the 1975 reforms, the last lord lieutenant of the county of Ross and Cromarty, Alexander Francis Matheson, became lord lieutenant of the new Ross and Cromarty

, which was defined as the combined area of the new Ross and Cromarty district plus the Skye and Lochalsh district. The Ross and Cromarty District Council was based at the former county council's headquarters at County Buildings in Dingwall. Throughout the district's existence from 1975 to 1996, a majority of the seats were held by

independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in Pennsylvania, United States * Independentes (English: Independents), a Portuguese artist ...

councillors. Further local government reforms in 1996 under the

Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994 The Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994 (c. 39) is an Act of parliament, Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that created the current Local government in Scotland, local government structure of 32 Unitary authority, unitary authori ...

saw the regions and districts created in 1975 abolished and replaced with single-tier

s. The former Highland region became one of the new council areas. The lieutenancy areas continue to be defined as they had been in 1975 despite the abolition of the districts on which they were based. The boundaries of the historic county of Ross and Cromarty (as it was following the 1891 boundary changes) are still used for some limited official purposes connected with land registration, being a

. In 1998 the Western Isles Council formally changed the English language version of the area's name from Western Isles to ''Na h-Eileanan an Iar'' (Scots Gaelic for 'Western Isles'), to be used in both English and Gaelic contexts.

Geography

The western part of the county of Ross and Cromarty, also known as

Wester Ross Wester Ross () is an area of the Northwest Highlands of Scotland in the council area of Highland. The area is loosely defined, and has never been used as a formal administrative region in its own right, but is generally regarded as lying to th ...

, is typified by its mountainous Highland scenery, especially the

Torridon Hills The Torridon Hills surround Torridon village in the Northwest Highlands of Scotland. The name is usually applied to the mountains to the north of Glen Torridon. They are among the most dramatic and spectacular peaks in the British Isles and ma ...

which includes such peaks as

Beinn Eighe is a mountain massif in the Torridon area of Wester Ross in the Northwest Highlands of Scotland. Lying south of Loch Maree, it forms a long ridge with many spurs and summits, two of which are classified as Munros: Ruadh-stac Mòr at ...

and Liathach. The highest point in the county is Càrn Eighe at . The west coast of the mainland onto

The Minch The Minch () is a strait in north-west Scotland that separates the mainland from Lewis and Harris in the Outer Hebrides. It was known as ("Scotland's firth") in Old Norse. The Minch's southern extension, which separates Skye from the midd ...

and Inner Sound (opposite

Skye The Isle of Skye, or simply Skye, is the largest and northernmost of the major islands in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. The island's peninsulas radiate from a mountainous hub dominated by the Cuillin, the rocky slopes of which provide some o ...

), is heavily indented with sea lochs and peninsulas. From north to south the chief of these are the Coigach peninsula,

Loch Broom Loch Broom (, "loch of rain showers") is a sea loch located in northwestern Ross and Cromarty, in the former parish of Lochbroom, on the west coast of Scotland. The small town of Ullapool lies on the eastern shore of the loch. Little Loch Br ...

, the Scoraig peninsula,

Little Loch Broom Loch Broom (, "loch of rain showers") is a sea loch located in northwestern Ross and Cromarty, in the former parish of Lochbroom, Highland, Lochbroom, on the west coast of Scotland. The small town of Ullapool lies on the eastern shore of the lo ...

, Gruinard Bay, Rubha Mòr peninsula, Loch Ewe, Rua Reidh/Melvaig peninsula,

Loch Gairloch The Gair Loch is a sea loch on the North West coast of Highland, Scotland. In Scottish Gaelic it is ''an Geàrr Loch'' meaning 'the short loch'. Around long by wide, it leads west to the Little Minch. The B8021 and B8056 run around its north ...

Loch Torridon Loch Torridon () is a sea loch on the west coast of Scotland in the Northwest Highlands. The loch was created by glacial processes and is in total around 15 miles (25 km) long. It has two sections: Upper Loch Torridon to landward, east of Ru ...

, Applecross peninsula, Loch Kishorn, Loch Carron,

peninsula,

Loch Long Loch Long is a body of water in the council area of Argyll and Bute, Scotland. The sea loch extends from the Firth of Clyde at its southwestern end, to the Arrochar Alps at the head of the loch. It measures approximately in length, with a wi ...

, Loch Duich and the Glenelg peninsula which is shared with Inverness-shire. The eastern part (

Easter Ross Easter Ross () is a loosely defined area in the east of Ross, Highland, Scotland. The name is used in the constituency name Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, which is the name of both a British House of Commons constituency and a Scotti ...

) is generally flatter, and consists of towns, villages and farmland bordering the

. In the north Dornoch Firth separates the county from Sutherland. In the north-east can be found the hammerhead-shaped Tarbat peninsula; across

Cromarty Firth The Cromarty Firth (; ; literally "kyles

traits Trait may refer to: * Phenotypic trait in biology, which involve genes and characteristics of organisms * Genotypic trait, sometimes but not always presenting as a phenotypic trait * Personality, traits that predict an individual's behavior. ** ...

of Cromarty") is an arm of the Moray Firth in Scotland. Geography The entrance to the Cromarty Firth is guarded by two precipitous headlands; the one on the north high and the one on the ...

lies the Black Isle (actually a peninsula not an island). To the south-east Beauly Firth forms the border with Inverness-shire. The county contains numerous lochs, some of which have been enlarged to use as reservoirs. The larger inland lochs are: *Fionn Loch * Loch Cluanie *Loch Damh *

Loch Fannich Loch Fannich is a remote loch in Ross-shire, in Scotland. The loch is located west of Strathpeffer. Etymology The name ''Fannich'' may represent an adaption into Gaelic of an earlier Pictish Pictish is an extinct Brittonic Celtic langu ...

*Loch Glass * Loch Langabhat (on Lewis) * Loch Loyne *Loch Luichart *

Loch Maree Loch Maree () is a loch in Wester Ross in the Northwest Highlands of Scotland. At long and with a maximum width of , it is the fourth-largest freshwater loch in Scotland; it is the largest north of Loch Ness. Its surface area is . Loch Maree c ...

* Loch Mullardoch *Orrin Reservoir

Islands

The county of Ross and Cromarty includes the northern parts of the

, in particular the

. Lewis is not an island on its own but forms part of the larger island of

Lewis and Harris Lewis and Harris (), or Lewis with Harris, is a Scottish island in the Outer Hebrides, around from the Scottish mainland. With an area of (approximately 1% the size of Great Britain) it is the largest island in Scotland and the list of isl ...

, which is the largest island of the Outer Hebrides and the third largest in the British Isles after Britain and Ireland. Harris is in

. Due to its flatter, more fertile land, Lewis contains three-quarters of the population of the Western Isles, and the largest settlement,

. The only other island in the Outer Hebrides that is in the county of Ross and Cromarty and was inhabited at the 2011 census was

Great Bernera Great Bernera (; ), often known just as Bernera (), is an island and community council, community in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. With an area of just over , it is the thirty-fourth largest List of islands of Scotland, Scottish island. Great ...

, which is linked to Lewis by a bridge. Ross and Cromarty also included some small and now uninhabited islands, including the remote Flannan Isles to the west of Lewis. About north of the

Butt of Lewis The Butt of Lewis () is the most northerly point on the Island of Lewis, in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. The headland, which lies in the North Atlantic, is frequently battered by heavy swells and storms and is marked by the Butt of Lewis Lig ...

lie North Rona and

Sula Sgeir Sula Sgeir is a small, uninhabited Scotland, Scottish islet in the North Atlantic, west of North Rona, Rona. One of the most remote islands of the British Isles, it lies approximately north of Isle of Lewis, Lewis and is best known for its ...

, a remote group of islands which were included within Ross and Cromarty. The county also includes numerous smaller islands closer to the west coast of the mainland. Only three were inhabited at 2011, being Dry Island in

, the Isle of Ewe in Loch Ewe, and Tanera Mòr in

. The

and several of its smaller neighbouring islands form part of the Ross and Cromarty lieutenancy area, but they form part of the registration county and historic county of Inverness-shire. File:Eileanban.jpg, Eilean Bàn from the

Skye Bridge The Skye Bridge () is a road bridge over Loch Alsh, Scotland, connecting the Isle of Skye to the island of Eilean Bàn. The name is also used for the whole Skye Crossing, which further connects Eilean Bàn to the mainland across the Carrich V ...

, looking towards Kyle of Lochalsh File:Longashags.jpg, Shag birds on

Longa Island Longa Island (Gaelic: ''Longa'') is a small uninhabited island at the mouth of Loch Gairloch, on the west coast of Scotland. Longa is nearly in length with an area of and a maximum elevation of above sea level. Geology The island is main ...

File:View towards Isle of Ewe - geograph.org.uk - 1167340.jpg, The Isle of Ewe File:Cave on Garbh Eilean, Shiant Isles - geograph.org.uk - 85271.jpg, Cave on Garbh Eilean,

Shiant Islands The Shiant Islands (; or ) or Shiant Isles are a privately owned island group in the Minch, east of Harris, Outer Hebrides, Harris in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. They are southeast of the Isle of Lewis.Keay, J. & Keay, J. (1994) ''Collin ...

File:Calanais Standing Stones 20090610 01.jpg, The

Callanish Stones The Calanais Stones (or "Calanais I": or ) are an arrangement of menhir, standing stones placed in a cruciform pattern with a central stone circle, located on the Isle of Lewis, Scotland. They were erected in the late Neolithic British Isles, Ne ...

on Lewis

Economy and population

The main economic activities in Ross and Cromarty are

crofting Crofting (Scottish Gaelic: ') is a form of land tenure and small-scale food production peculiar to the Scottish Highlands, the islands of Scotland, and formerly on the Isle of Man. Within the 19th-century townships, individual crofts were est ...

fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment (Freshwater ecosystem, freshwater or Marine ecosystem, marine), but may also be caught from Fish stocking, stocked Body of water, ...

and

tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure, and the Commerce, commercial activity of providing and supporting such travel. World Tourism Organization, UN Tourism defines tourism more generally, in terms which go "beyond the common perception of tourism as ...

. The parishes which make up the registration county (being the pre-1975 county) had a population of 77,382 at the 2011 census. The lieutenancy area (including Skye but excluding Lewis and Kincardine) had a population of 67,253.

Civil parishes

Parishes existed from medieval times. From 1845 to 1894 they had parish boards and from 1894 to 1930 they had parish councils. They have had no administrative functions since 1930, but continue to be used for the presentation of statistics. Following the 1891 boundary changes, the county of Ross and Cromarty contained the following civil parishes: #

Applecross Applecross ( , 'The Sanctuary', historically anglicized as 'Combrich') is a peninsula in Wester Ross, in the Scottish Highlands. It is bounded by Loch Kishorn to the south, Loch Torridon to the north, and Glen Shieldaig to the east. On its wes ...

# Avoch #

Barvas Barvas (Scottish Gaelic: ''Barabhas'' or ''Barbhas'', ) is a settlement, community and civil parish on the Isle of Lewis in Scotland. It developed around a road junction. The A857 and A858 meet at the southern end of Barvas. North is the road ...

(on Lewis) # Contin #

(included burgh of same name) #

(included burgh of same name) # Edderton # Fearn # Fodderty #

Gairloch Gairloch ( ; , meaning "Short Loch") is a village, civil parish and community on the shores of Loch Gairloch in Wester Ross, in the North-West Highlands of Scotland. A tourist destination in the summer months, Gairloch has a golf course, a ...

# Glenshiel # Killearnan # Kilmuir Easter # Kiltearn # Kincardine # Kintail # Knockbain #

# Lochbroom # Lochcarron #

Lochs ''Loch'' ( ) is a word meaning "lake" or " sea inlet" in Scottish and Irish Gaelic, subsequently borrowed into English. In Irish contexts, it often appears in the anglicized form "lough". A small loch is sometimes called a lochan. Lochs which ...

(on Lewis) # Logie Easter # Nigg # Resolis #

Rosemarkie Rosemarkie (, from meaning "promontory of the horse stream") is a village on the south coast of the Black Isle peninsula in Ross-shire (Ross and Cromarty), northern Scotland. Geography Rosemarkie lies a quarter of a mile east of the town of ...

(included burgh of

) #

Rosskeen Rosskeen is a parish in Ross and Cromarty on the Cromarty Firth in northern Scotland, containing the settlements of Invergordon, Bridgend and Saltburn, Ross and Cromarty, Saltburn. It lies on the A9 between Inverness and Thurso. Notable Buildi ...

(included burgh of

) #

(included burgh of same name, on Lewis) #

(included burgh of same name) # Tarbat # Uig (on Lewis) # Urquhart and Logie Wester #

Transport

The Kyle of Lochalsh railway line traverses the county west–east, terminating at

Inverness Inverness (; ; from the , meaning "Mouth of the River Ness") is a city in the Scottish Highlands, having been granted city status in 2000. It is the administrative centre for The Highland Council and is regarded as the capital of the Highland ...

. The

Far North Line The Far North Line is a rural railway line entirely within the Highland area of Scotland, extending from Inverness to Thurso and Wick. As the name suggests, it is the northernmost railway in the United Kingdom. The line is entirely single-tra ...

goes north–south along the east coast, connecting Inverness in the south with

Thurso Thurso (pronounced ; , ) is a town and former burgh on the north coast of the Highland council area of Scotland. Situated in the historical County of Caithness, it is the northernmost town on the island of Great Britain. From a latitudinal s ...

and

Wick Wick most often refers to: * Capillary action ("wicking") ** Candle wick, the cord used in a candle or oil lamp ** Solder wick, a copper-braided wire used to desolder electronic contacts Wick or WICK may also refer to: Places and placenames ...

in the north. The Black Isle is connected by bridge to the 'mainland' - Cromarty Bridge in the north-west and the Kessock Bridge in the south-west. At the tip of the peninsula a ferry provides access to the Tarbat peninsula. The

links Kyle of Lochalsh to the isle of Skye. Various buses operated by

Stagecoach Group Stagecoach Group is a transport group based in Perth, Scotland. It operates buses and express coaches in the United Kingdom. Stagecoach was originally founded in 1976 as ''Gloagtrotter'', a recreational vehicle and minibus hire business. Dur ...

link the major towns of the east coast, with the 61 bus connecting Ullapool to Inverness. The latter route is also served by Scottish Citylink in the summer, continuing on to Glasgow. Various independent bus companies link the smaller towns of Wester Ross, though online information is limited. A ferry connects Stornoway on Lewis with Ullapool on the mainland, taking about three hours. The county contains one airport -

- which provides passenger flights to destinations within Scotland as well as London Southend.

Settlements

Mainland

Achnasheen Achnasheen (Scottish Gaelic, Gaelic ''Achadh na Sìne'') is a small village in Ross-shire in the Highland Council area, Highland council area of Scotland. The village is situated on the River Bran at the junction of two roads built by Thomas Te ...

* Achiltibuie *

* Altandhu *

* Ardgay * Aultbea * Avoch * Badenscallie * Balintore * Barbaraville * Conon Bridge * Contin *

* Culbokie * Culrain * Diabaig *

* Dornie * Dundonnell * Edderton * Evanton * Fearn *

* Garve *

* Hill of Fearn * Inver *

* Inverinate *

* Jemimaville * Kildary * Kilmuir, Black Isle * Kilmuir, Easter Ross *

Kinlochewe Kinlochewe ( or ) is a village in Wester Ross in the Northwest Highlands of Scotland. It is in the parish of Gairloch, the community of Torridon and Kinlochewe and the Highland council area. It lies near the head of Loch Maree in its magnifice ...

* Kyle of Lochalsh * Laide * Lochcarron * Marybank * Maryburgh * Milton *

Muir of Ord Muir of Ord () is a village in Easter Ross, in the Highland (council area), Highland council area of Scotland. It is situated near the western end of the Black Isle, about west of the city of Inverness and south of Dingwall. The village had a p ...

Munlochy Munlochy ( ; Scottish Gaelic: ''Poll Lochaidh'') is a small village, lying at the head of Munlochy Bay (''Ob Poll Lochaidh''), in the Black Isle in Ross and Cromarty, in northern Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, c ...

* Nigg *

North Kessock North Kessock (Scottish Gaelic, Gaelic: ''Ceasag a Tuath'' or ''Aiseag Cheasaig'') is a village on the Black Isle north of Inverness. Description North Kessock is the first village encountered over the Kessock Bridge. Now bypassed by the main r ...

* Polbain * Polglass * Poolewe * Portmahomack *

Shieldaig Shieldaig (; )W. J. Watson''Place-names of Ross and Cromarty'' 1904, p. 208. is a village in Wester Ross in the Northwest Highlands, in the Scottish council area of Highland. Geography and history The village was founded in 1800 with a vie ...

* Strathcarron *

Strathpeffer Strathpeffer () is a village and spa town in Ross and Cromarty, Highland, Scotland, with a population of 1,469. Geography It lies in a strath west of Dingwall, with the elevation ranging from above sea level. Sheltered on the west and north, ...

* Stromeferry *

Torridon Torridon () is a small village in the Northwest Highlands of Scotland. The name is also applied to the area surrounding the village, particularly the Torridon Hills, mountains to the north of Glen Torridon. The village lies on the shore of Loch ...

* Ullapool

Isle of Lewis

* Achmore * Adabrock * Aignish * Aird * Aird Uig * Arnol *

Back The human back, also called the dorsum (: dorsa), is the large posterior area of the human body, rising from the top of the buttocks to the back of the neck. It is the surface of the body opposite from the chest and the abdomen. The vertebral c ...

* Balallan * Ballantrushal *

* Borve * Bragar * Branahuie * Brue *

Breaclete Breacleit (or Roulanish; ; Old Norse: ''Breiðiklettr'') is the central village on Great Bernera in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. Breaclete is within the parish of Uig. Although the village name comes from a geographical feature rather than a ...

* Breanish * Breasclete * Calbost * Callanish *

Carloway Carloway ( ) is a crofting township and a district on the west coast of the Isle of Lewis, in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. The district has a population of around 500. Carloway township is within the parish of Uig, and is situated on the A858. ...

Cliff In geography and geology, a cliff or rock face is an area of Rock (geology), rock which has a general angle defined by the vertical, or nearly vertical. Cliffs are formed by the processes of weathering and erosion, with the effect of gravity. ...

Coll Coll (; )Mac an Tàilleir (2003) p. 31 is an island located west of the Isle of Mull and northeast of Tiree in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. Coll is known for its sandy beaches, which rise to form large sand dunes, for its corncrakes, and fo ...

* Cromore *

Cross A cross is a religious symbol consisting of two Intersection (set theory), intersecting Line (geometry), lines, usually perpendicular to each other. The lines usually run vertically and horizontally. A cross of oblique lines, in the shape of t ...

* Crossbost * Dalbeg * Eorodale * Eoropie * Fivepenny * Flesherin * Garynahine * Gisla * Gravir * Gress * Habost * Holm * Kirkibost *

Kneep Kneep () is a village on the Isle of Lewis, in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. Kneep is within the parish of Uig. Various archaeological discoveries have been made at Kneep, including a Viking cemetery and a number of Viking burials, as well as ...

* Knockaird *

Laxdale Laxdale () is a village in the Scottish Outer Hebrides, on the Isle of Lewis. Although nominally a distinct village, Laxdale is now effectively a suburb of Stornoway. Laxdale is also within the parish of Stornoway. There is a school called Laxda ...

* Leurbost * Lionel * Lower Bayble * Marybank * Melbost * Newmarket * Newvalley * North Dell * North Tolsta * Orinsay *

Parkend Parkend is a village, located at the foot of the Cannop Valley, in the Royal Forest of Dean, West Gloucestershire, England, and has a history dating back to the early 17th century. During the 19th century it was a busy industrial village with s ...

* Plasterfield * Portnaguran * Port of Ness *

Portvoller Portvoller () is a small village on the north tip of the Eye Peninsula (which along with Melbost and Parkend makes up Point), on the Isle of Lewis in northwestern Scotland. It is on the A866 from the Outer Hebrides' only town, Stornoway. Por ...

* Sandwick *

Shader In computer graphics, a shader is a computer program that calculates the appropriate levels of light, darkness, and color during the rendering of a 3D scene—a process known as '' shading''. Shaders have evolved to perform a variety of s ...

* Shawbost * Shulishader * Skigersta * South Dell * South Galson * Steinish *

* Swainbost * Timsgarry * Tong * Upper Bayble

Parliamentary constituency

The name Ross and Cromarty was first used for the Ross and Cromarty county constituency of the

Parliament of the United Kingdom The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body of the United Kingdom, and may also legislate for the Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories. It meets at the Palace ...

from 1832 to 1983. As created in 1832, the constituency merged two former

county constituencies In the United Kingdom (UK), each of the electoral areas or divisions called constituencies elects one member to the House of Commons. Within the United Kingdom there are five bodies with members elected by electoral districts called " constituen ...

: the Ross-shire constituency and the Cromartyshire constituency, and it elected a Member of Parliament to represent the counties of

and Cromartyshire, minus their parliamentary burghs,

and

, which were represented as components of the Wick burghs constituency and the Inverness burghs constituency. Constituency boundaries were altered in 1918, by the

Representation of the People Act 1918 The Representation of the People Act 1918 ( 7 & 8 Geo. 5. c. 64) was an act of Parliament passed to reform the electoral system in Great Britain and Ireland. It is sometimes known as the Fourth Reform Act. The act extended the franchise in pa ...

, and the Ross and Cromarty constituency acquired the boundaries of the county of Ross and Cromarty, including the former parliamentary burghs, but minus

and Lewis, which became part of a new constituency, the Western Isles constituency. In 1983, the Ross, Cromarty and Skye constituency was created to represent the then Ross and Cromarty district and

district. The Kincardine area joined the Caithness and Sutherland constituency.

References

External links

Encyclopædia Britannica, Ross and Cromarty
Lieutenancy areas of Scotland Districts of Scotland Former counties of Scotland {{purge