Ross-shire | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Sovereign state |  United Kingdom |
| Country |  Scotland |
| County town | Dingwall |
| Area | |
| • Total | 3,089 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), 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 enclaves or exclaves scattered throughout Ross-shire's territory. The mainland had a coast to the east onto the Moray Firth and a coast to the west onto the Minch. Ross-shire was named after and covered most of the ancient province of Ross, and also included the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides. The county town was Dingwall.
Ross-shire was abolished in 1889, merging with Cromartyshire to form a new county called Ross and Cromarty. The area is now part of the Highland council area, except for the parts in the Outer Hebrides, which are in Na h-Eileanan an Iar. The name Ross-shire continued to be used by the Royal Mail as a postal county (including for the areas that were formerly in Cromartyshire) until postal counties were discontinued in 1996.