Ross-shire

Coordinates: 57°48′N 5°00′W / 57.8°N 5.0°W / 57.8; -5.0
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
This article is about the historic Scottish county. For the joint county created in 1890 also known as Ross-shire, see Ross and Cromarty.

Ross-shire
Historic county
Country
 Scotland
County townDingwall
Area
 • Total3,089 sq mi (8,000 km2)
 Ranked 3rd of 34
Chapman code
ROC (as part of Ross and Cromarty)

Ross-shire (

exclaves scattered throughout Ross-shire's territory. Ross-shire includes most of Ross along with Lewis in the Outer Hebrides. Dingwall is the traditional county town. The area of Ross-shire is based on that of the historic province of Ross, but with the exclusion of the many enclaves that form Cromartyshire.[1]

For

sheriff of Inverness by Act of Parliament during the reign of King James IV, the sheriff to sit at Tain or Dingwall.[2][3] Sheriffs were seldom appointed, and further acts of 1649 and 1661 restated its separation from Inverness.[4][5][3] The 1661 act also clarified the area encompassed, based on the pre-Reformation Diocese of Ross.[5][3] Sir George Mackenzie's Ross-shire estates were transferred to Cromartyshire by a 1685 Act of Parliament (repealed 1686, re-enacted 1690).[1]

The

postal county
for the mainland part of the local government county until 1996.

In 1975, Ross and Cromarty was itself replaced by the

unitary council area in 1996, under the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994
.

There was a Ross-shire constituency of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1708 to 1801, and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1832. In 1832 it was merged with the Cromartyshire constituency to form the Ross and Cromarty constituency.

Geography

Sgurr Fiona and the Corrag Bhuidhe pinnacles on An Teallach in Wester Ross

Western Ross-shire, also known as

Applecross peninsula, Loch Kishorn, Loch Carron, Lochalsh peninsula, Loch Long, Loch Duich and the Glenelg
peninsula which is shared with Inverness-shire.

The eastern half (Easter Ross) is generally flatter, and consists of towns, villages and farmland bordering the Moray Firth. In the north Dornoch Firth separates the county from Sutherland; near the Dornoch Firth Bridge lies the thin, tapering Ness of Portnaculter peninsula. In the north-east can be found the hammerhead-shaped Tarbat peninsula which is shared with Cromartyshire; across Cromarty Firth lies the Black Isle (actually a peninsula not an island), which is also shared with Cromartyshire. To the south-east Beauly Firth forms the border with Inverness-shire.

The county contains numerous lochs, the most prominent of these being

Loch Dughaill, Loch Coultrie, Loch Damph, Loch Lundie, Loch na A-Oidhche, Loch Maree, Loch a' Ghodhainn, Loch Ghaineamhach, Loch Bad an Sgalaig, Loch a' Bhraoin, Loch Fannich, Fionn Loch, Loch na Sealga, Loch Eye, Loch Glass, Loch Morie, Loch Ussie, Loch Achilty, Loch Garve, Loch Luichart, Loch Achanalt, Loch Meig, Loch Droma, Loch Glascarnoch, Loch Coire Làir, Loch Vaich, Loch a' Chaorunn, Loch na Caoidhe, Loch Beannacharain and the Orrin Reservoir
.

Lewis is the northern part of Lewis and Harris, the largest island of the Outer Hebrides and the third largest in the British Isles after Britain and Ireland. Due to its flatter, more fertile land, Lewis contains three-quarters of the population of the Western Isles, and the largest settlement, Stornoway. To the west lie the isolated and uninhabited Flannan Isles. About 71 kilometres (44 miles) north of the Butt of Lewis lie North Rona and Sula Sgeir, a remote group of islands which are included within Ross-shire.

Islands

Mainland

Lewis

North Rona

  • Eilean Bàn from the Skye Bridge, looking towards Kyle of Lochalsh
    Eilean Bàn from the Skye Bridge, looking towards Kyle of Lochalsh
  • Shag birds on Longa Island
    Shag birds on Longa Island
  • The Isle of Ewe
    The Isle of Ewe
  • Cave on Garbh Eilean, Shiant Isles
    Cave on Garbh Eilean, Shiant Isles
  • The famous Callanish Stones on Lewis
    The famous Callanish Stones on Lewis
  • Seana Chnoc (at left) and Bearasaigh from the south west. Stac nam Balg is just visible to the left of Seanna Chnoc
    Seana Chnoc (at left) and Bearasaigh from the south west. Stac nam Balg is just visible to the left of Seanna Chnoc

Settlements

Mainland

Dingwall, with Ben Wyvis in the distance
Shieldaig

Isle of Lewis

Stornoway

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Mackenzie, Sir George Steuart (1810). General View of the Agriculture of the Counties of Ross and Cromarty: With Observations on the Means of Their Improvement. Richard Phillips. pp. 15–16. Retrieved 28 March 2013.; RPS 1685/4/66, RPS 1685/4/67, RPS 1686/4/35, RPS 1690/4/108, RPS 1690/4/119
  2. ^ "Records of the Parliaments of Scotland". www.rps.ac.uk.
  3. ^
    ISBN 9789004269255
    . Retrieved 24 April 2017.
  4. ^ "Records of the Parliaments of Scotland". www.rps.ac.uk.
  5. ^ a b "Records of the Parliaments of Scotland". www.rps.ac.uk.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ross-shire.

57°48′N 5°00′W / 57.8°N 5.0°W / 57.8; -5.0

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