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Ross-shire

Coordinates:57°48′N5°00′W/ 57.8°N 5.0°W/57.8; -5.0
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the historic Scottish county. For the joint county created in 1890 also known as Ross-shire, seeRoss and Cromarty.

Ross-shire
Historic county
Coat of arms of Ross-shire
Coat of arms
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
CountryScotland
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(/ˈrɒs.ʃaɪər/;Scottish Gaelic:Siorrachd Rois) is ahistoric countyin theScottish Highlands.The county bordersSutherlandto the north andInverness-shireto the south, as well as having a complex border withCromartyshire– a county consisting of numerousenclavesorexclavesscattered throughout Ross-shire's territory. Ross-shire includes most ofRossalong withLewisin theOuter Hebrides.Dingwallis the traditionalcounty town.The area of Ross-shire is based on that of thehistoric provinceof Ross, but with the exclusion of the many enclaves that form Cromartyshire.[1]

Forshrieval purposesthe area was first separated from the authority of thesheriffofInvernessby Act ofParliamentduring the reign ofKing James IV,the sheriff to sit atTainorDingwall.[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-ReformationDiocese of Ross.[5][3]Sir George Mackenzie's Ross-shire estates were transferred to Cromartyshire by a 1685 Act of Parliament (repealed 1686, re-enacted 1690).[1]

TheLocal Government (Scotland) Act 1889provided that "the counties of Ross and Cromarty shall cease to be separate counties, and shall be united for all purposes whatsoever, under the name of the county of Ross and Cromarty." The two counties that became the singlelocal governmentcounty ofRoss and Cromarty,which continued to be used for local government purposes until 1975, although Ross-shire remained as thepostal countyfor the mainland part of the local government county until 1996.

In 1975, Ross and Cromarty was itself replaced by theHighlandregionand theWestern Isles,under theLocal Government (Scotland) Act 1973.The region became aunitary council areain 1996, under theLocal Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994.

There was aRoss-shire constituencyof theParliament of Great Britainfrom 1708 to 1801, and of theParliament of the United Kingdomfrom 1801 to 1832. In 1832 it was merged with theCromartyshire constituencyto form theRoss and Cromarty constituency.

Geography

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Sgurr Fiona and the Corrag Bhuidhe pinnacles onAn Teallachin Wester Ross

Western Ross-shire, also known asWester Ross,is typified by its mountainous Highland scenery, especially theTorridon Hillswhich includes such peaks asBeinn EigheandLiathach.The highest point in the county isCàrn Eigheat 1,183 metres (3,881 feet). It contains a long, fractured coastline alongThe MinchandInner Sound(oppositeSkye), consisting of a number of isolated peninsulas split by sea lochs; from north to south the chief of these areLoch Broom,theScoraig peninsula,Little Loch Broom,Gruinard Bay,Rubha Mòrpeninsula,Loch Ewe,Rua Reidh/Melvaig peninsula,Loch Gairloch,Loch Torridon,Applecross peninsula,Loch Kishorn,Loch Carron,Lochalshpeninsula,Loch Long,Loch Duichand theGlenelgpeninsula which is shared with Inverness-shire.

The eastern half (Easter Ross) is generally flatter, and consists of towns, villages and farmland bordering theMoray Firth.In the northDornoch Firthseparates the county from Sutherland; near theDornoch Firth Bridgelies the thin, taperingNess of Portnaculterpeninsula. In the north-east can be found the hammerhead-shapedTarbat peninsulawhich is shared with Cromartyshire; acrossCromarty Firthlies theBlack Isle(actually a peninsula not an island), which is also shared with Cromartyshire. To the south-eastBeauly Firthforms the border with Inverness-shire.

The county contains numerous lochs, the most prominent of these beingLoch Ailsh,Crom Loch,Loch a' Choire Mhòir,Loch Fada,Lochan Gaineamhaich,Loch Cluanie,Loch Loyne,Loch Monar,Loch Mullardoch,Loch a' Bhealaich,Loch nan Eun,Loch na Leitreach,Loch an Laoigh,Loch Calavie,An Gead Loch,Loch an Tachdaidh,Loch Sgamhain,Loch a' Chroisg,Loch Clair,Loch Coulin,Loch Fhiarlaid,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 Beannacharainand theOrrin Reservoir.

Lewis is the northern part ofLewis 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 uninhabitedFlannan Isles.About 71 kilometres (44 miles) north of theButt of LewislieNorth RonaandSula Sgeir,a remote group of islands which are included within Ross-shire.

Islands

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Mainland

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Lewis

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North Rona

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  • 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 famousCallanish Stoneson 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

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Mainland

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Dingwall, with Ben Wyvis in the distance
Shieldaig

Isle of Lewis

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Stornoway

See also

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References

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  1. ^abMackenzie, 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.Retrieved28 March2013.;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. ^abcKennedy, Allan D. (3 April 2014).Governing Gaeldom: The Scottish Highlands and the Restoration State, 1660-1688.BRILL. pp. 155–156.ISBN9789004269255.Retrieved24 April2017.
  4. ^"Records of the Parliaments of Scotland".www.rps.ac.uk.
  5. ^ab"Records of the Parliaments of Scotland".www.rps.ac.uk.
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