Cromartyshire

Cromartyshire (Siorrachd Chromba in Gaelic) was a county in the Highlands of Scotland, consisting of a main portion between Sutherland and Ross-shire and a series of exclaves within Ross-shire. Ross-shire and Cromartyshire were combined as the single county of Ross and Cromarty by the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1889, and this became part of the Highland region in 1975. The only burgh of Cromartyshire was the county town, Cromarty.

The Local Government Act 1889 provided 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 nucleus of the county consisted of the lands of Cromarty in the north of the peninsula of the Black Isle. To this were joined from time to time various estates scattered throughout Ross-shire, most notably the districts around Ullapool and Little Loch Broom on the coast of the Minch, the area in which Ben Wyvis is situated, and a tract to the north of Loch Fannich - which was acquired by the ancestors of Sir George Mackenzie (1630 - 1714), afterwards Viscount Tarbat (1685) and 1st Earl of Cromartie (1703). Wishing to combine these sporadic properties into one shire, Viscount Tarbat contrived to procure their annexation to his sheriffdom of Cromarty in 1685 and 1698, and the area of the enlarged county then amounted to nearly 370 square miles (958 km²).

Towns and villages

Major towns

• Cromarty
• Ullapool

Smaller towns & villages

• Achduart, Achiltibuie, Alnessferry, Ardmair, Ardnagoine
• Badenscallie, Balblair, Barbaraville, Brae of Achnahaird, Braes of Ullapool
• Camusnagaul, Cullicudden
• Dundonnell
• Inver
• Jemimaville
• Kildary, Kilmuir
• Lochslin
• Milton, Morefield, Mount High
• Newmills
• Polbain, Polglass, Portmahomack
• Reiff, Resolis, Rhives, Rhue
• Springfield

References