Inverness-shire () or the County of Inverness, is a historic county in

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 ...

. It is named after

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 ...

, its largest settlement, which was also the

county town In Great Britain and Ireland, a county town is usually the location of administrative or judicial functions within a county, and the place where public representatives are elected to parliament. Following the establishment of county councils in ...

. Covering much of the

Highlands Highland is a broad term for areas of higher elevation, such as a mountain range or mountainous plateau. Highland, Highlands, or The Highlands, may also refer to: Places Africa * Highlands, Johannesburg, South Africa * Highlands, Harare, Zimbab ...

and some of the

Hebrides The Hebrides ( ; , ; ) are the largest archipelago in the United Kingdom, off the west coast of the Scotland, Scottish mainland. The islands fall into two main groups, based on their proximity to the mainland: the Inner Hebrides, Inner and Ou ...

, it is Scotland's largest county by land area. It is generally rural and sparsely populated, containing only three towns which held

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 ...

status, being Inverness, Fort William and

Kingussie Kingussie ( ; ) is a small town in the Badenoch and Strathspey ward of the Highland council area of Scotland. Counties of Scotland, Historically in Inverness-shire, it lies beside the A9 road (Great Britain), A9 road, although the old route of ...

. The county is crossed by the

Great Glen The Great Glen ( ), also known as Glen Albyn (from the Gaelic "Glen of Scotland" ) or Glen More (from the Gaelic "Big/Great Glen"), is a glen in Scotland running for from Inverness on the edge of the Moray Firth, in an approximately straig ...

, which contains

Loch Ness Loch Ness (; ) is a large freshwater loch in the Scottish Highlands. It takes its name from the River Ness, which flows from the northern end. Loch Ness is best known for claimed sightings of the cryptozoology, cryptozoological Loch Ness Mons ...

and separates the

Grampian Mountains The Grampian Mountains () is one of the three major mountain ranges in Scotland, that together occupy about half of Scotland. The other two ranges are the Northwest Highlands and the Southern Uplands. The Grampian range extends northeast to so ...

to the south-east from 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 ...

. The county also includes

Ben Nevis Ben Nevis ( ; , ) is the highest mountain in Scotland, the United Kingdom, and the British Isles. Ben Nevis stands at the western end of the Grampian Mountains in the Highland region of Lochaber, close to the town of Fort William. The mount ...

, the highest mountain in both Scotland and the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

. The county ceased to be used for local government purposes in 1975. Since then, the parts of the county on the mainland and in the

Inner Hebrides The Inner Hebrides ( ; ) is an archipelago off the west coast of mainland Scotland, to the south east of the Outer Hebrides. Together these two island chains form the Hebrides, which experience a mild oceanic climate. The Inner Hebrides compri ...

have 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 was redesignated a

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 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 ...

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 neighbouring counties prior to the 1975 reforms were (clockwise from north)

Ross and Cromarty Ross and Cromarty (), is an area in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. In modern usage, it is a registration county and a Lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area. Between 1889 and 1975 it was a Shires of Scotland, county. Historical ...

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 ...

Moray Moray ( ; or ) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. It lies in the north-east of the country, with a coastline on the Moray Firth, and borders the council areas of Aberdeenshire and Highland. Its council is based in Elgin, the area' ...

Banffshire Banffshire (; ; ) is a historic county in Scotland. The county town is Banff, although the largest settlement is Buckie to the west. The historic county ceased to be used for local government purposes in 1975. Since 1996 the area has been spli ...

Aberdeenshire Aberdeenshire (; ) is one of the 32 Subdivisions of Scotland#council areas of Scotland, council areas of Scotland. It takes its name from the Shires of Scotland, historic county of Aberdeenshire (historic), Aberdeenshire, which had substantial ...

Perthshire Perthshire (Scottish English, locally: ; ), officially the County of Perth, is a Shires of Scotland, historic county and registration county in central Scotland. Geographically it extends from Strathmore, Angus and Perth & Kinross, Strathmore ...

and

Argyll Argyll (; archaically Argyle; , ), sometimes called Argyllshire, is a Shires of Scotland, historic county and registration county of western Scotland. The county ceased to be used for local government purposes in 1975 and most of the area ...

. 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 much longer coast to the west onto the

Sea of the Hebrides The Sea of the Hebrides (, ) is a small and partly sheltered section of the North Atlantic Ocean, indirectly off the southern part of the north-west coast of Scotland. To the east are the mainland of Scotland and the northern Inner Hebrides (i ...

. The historic county boundaries of Inverness-shire are still used for certain functions, being 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 ...

. There is also an Inverness

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 ...

which covers the mainland part of the pre-1975 county and the

Small Isles The Small Isles () are a small archipelago in the Inner Hebrides, off the west coast of Scotland. They lie south of Skye and north of Mull and Ardnamurchan – the most westerly point of mainland Scotland. Until 1891, Canna, Rùm a ...

, as well as the parts of the historic counties of Argyll and Moray that were transferred to Highland.

History

The mainland part of Inverness-shire was anciently part of the

Province of Moray Moray (; ; ) was a province within the area of modern-day Scotland, that may at times up to the 12th century have operated as an independent kingdom or as a power base for competing claimants to the Kingdom of Alba. It covered a much larger terr ...

, ruled by the Earls or Mormaers of Moray, sometimes as a

vassal A vassal or liege subject is a person regarded as having a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch, in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. While the subordinate party is called a vassal, the dominant party is called a suzerain ...

of the Scottish crown, and at other times effectively as a separate kingdom. The

province A province is an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire, Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...

was finally brought fully into the

Kingdom of Scotland The Kingdom of Scotland was a sovereign state in northwest Europe, traditionally said to have been founded in 843. Its territories expanded and shrank, but it came to occupy the northern third of the island of Great Britain, sharing a Anglo-Sc ...

during the 12th century. In order to secure the Scottish crown's authority over the area, it was divided into

shires Shire () is a traditional term for an administrative division of land in Great Britain and some other English-speaking countries. It is generally synonymous with county (such as Cheshire and Worcestershire). British counties are among the oldes ...

, being areas administered by 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 ...

. The old province of Moray was broadly split into the three shires of Elginshire,

, and Inverness-shire, with Inverness-shire including the areas of the

provincial lordships Provincial lordships is a modern term used by historians to describe large feudal landholdings created in Scotland during the 12th and 13th centuries. These landholdings were granted by kings to their supporters to secure royal control of territori ...

Badenoch Badenoch (; ) is a district of the Scottish Highlands centred on the upper reaches of the River Spey, above Strathspey. The name Badenoch means the drowned land, with most of the population living close to the River Spey or its tributaries ...

and

Lochaber Lochaber ( ; ) is a name applied to a part of the Scottish Highlands. Historically, it was a provincial lordship consisting of the parishes of Kilmallie and Kilmonivaig. Lochaber once extended from the Northern shore of Loch Leven, a distric ...

which were subordinate to Moray. Around the same time, the Scottish crown was also trying to secure its control on Ross and

Caithness Caithness (; ; ) is a Shires of Scotland, historic county, registration county and Lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area of Scotland. There are two towns, being Wick, Caithness, Wick, which was the county town, and Thurso. The count ...

(which then included

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 ...

), the mainland provinces north of Moray. The Scottish crown had claimed them since 1098, when Norwegian overlordship of that area had been ceded to Scotland but, like Moray, they had remained largely independent. Whereas Moray was divided into shires at some point during the 12th century, Ross and Caithness were not made shires at that time. Instead, the

Sheriff of Inverness The Sheriff of Inverness was historically the office responsible for enforcing law and order and bringing criminals to justice in Inverness, Scotland. Prior to 1748 most sheriffdoms were held on a hereditary basis. From that date, following the ...

was given authority (at least nominally) over the northern provinces too. By the mid-13th century, there were sheriffs at

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 ...

and

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 ...

in Ross, but the extent of their control was fairly limited, with the Sheriff of Inverness still responsible for most of Ross and Caithness. The position of Sheriff of Dingwall did not endure. In the 15th century, the quasi-independent

Lordship of the Isles Lord of the Isles or King of the Isles ( or ; ) is a title of nobility in the Baronage of Scotland with historical roots that go back beyond the Kingdom of Scotland. It began with Somerled in the 12th century and thereafter the title was h ...

was fully incorporated into the kingdom of Scotland, and the Sheriff of Inverness was then also made responsible for the

and some of the

, notably

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 ...

. An act of parliament in 1504 acknowledged that the shire of Inverness was too big for the effective administration of justice, and so declared Ross and Caithness to be separate shires. That act was set aside for most purposes in 1509; the northern areas eventually regained their independence from the sheriff of Inverness with the creation of the shires of

in 1633, Caithness in 1641, and

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 ...

in 1661. Ross-shire also included the northern Outer Hebrides, notably 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 ...

. After 1661, Inverness-shire therefore comprised the western part of the province of Moray on the mainland, the southern Outer Hebrides, and some of the Inner Hebrides. Over time, Scotland's shires became more significant than the old provinces, with more administrative functions being given to the sheriffs. In 1667

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. ...

were established for each shire, which would serve as the main administrative body for the area until the creation of county councils in 1890. Following the Acts of Union in 1707, the English term 'county' came to be used interchangeably with the older term 'shire'. In 1870,

Cromdale Cromdale (, from ''crom'' 'crooked' and ''dal'' 'valley, dale') is a village in Strathspey, in the Highland council area of Scotland, and one of the ancient parishes which formed the combined ecclesiastical (later civil) parish of Cromdale, ...

and

Grantown-on-Spey Grantown-on-Spey () is a town in the Highland Council Area, Counties of Scotland, historically within the county of Moray. It is located on a low plateau at Freuchie beside the river Spey at the northern edge of the Cairngorms, Cairngorm mounta ...

were transferred from Inverness-shire to Elginshire in exchange for the area around

Aviemore Aviemore (; ) is a town and tourist resort, situated within the Cairngorms National Park in the Highlands of Scotland. It is in the Badenoch and Strathspey committee area, within the Highland council area. The town is popular for skiing and ...

Inverness-shire County Council

Elected county councils were established in 1890 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 ...

, taking most of the functions of the commissioners (which were eventually abolished in 1930). The

of Inverness was deemed capable of providing its own county-level local government functions, and so it was excluded from the administrative area of the county council, although the county council still chose to base itself there. Inverness-shire County Council held its first meeting on 22 May 1890 in the county's main courthouse at

Inverness Castle Inverness Castle () sits on a cliff overlooking the River Ness in Inverness, Scotland. A succession of castles have stood on this site since 1057, although the present structure dates from 1836. The present structure is a Category A listed buil ...

, which had been rebuilt in 1836. The 1889 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. There were several such changes affecting the boundaries of Inverness-shire. Notable changes included gaining the

of Canna,

Muck Muck most often refers to: *Muck (soil), a soil made up primarily of humus from drained swampland Muck may also refer to: Places Europe * Muck, Scotland, an island * Isle of Muck, County Antrim, a small island connected by sand spit to Portmuck ...

and

Rùm Rùm (), a Scottish Gaelic language, Scottish Gaelic name often Anglicisation, anglicised to Rum ( ), is one of the Small Isles of the Inner Hebrides, off the west coast of Scotland, in the district of Lochaber. For much of the 20th century the ...

from Argyll. Exceptionally, the parish of Croy and Dalcross was allowed to continue to straddle Inverness-shire and Nairnshire. The boundary changes all took effect in 1891. Inverness was subsequently brought within the administrative area of the county council in 1930, but classed as a

large burgh Large burgh was a type of municipal structure in Scotland, which existed from 1930 to 1975. History When county councils had been established in 1890 under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1889, there were 26 burghs which were excluded from ...

, allowing the town council to continue to provide most local government services. From the 1930s onwards the county council used the former Inverness College building at the corner of Ardross Street and Glenurquhart Road (built 1876) as its offices, renaming it County Buildings. The building was substantially extended in 1963 to provide additional offices, but council meetings continued to be held at Inverness Castle until the county council's abolition in 1975. In 1955 the

UK Government His Majesty's Government, abbreviated to HM Government or otherwise UK Government, is the central government, central executive authority of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

claimed sovereignty over

Rockall Rockall () is a high, uninhabitable granite islet in the North Atlantic Ocean. It is west of Soay, St Kilda, Scotland; northwest of Tory Island, Ireland; and south of Iceland. The nearest permanently inhabited place is North Uist, east in ...

, an uninhabited

islet An islet ( ) is generally a small island. Definitions vary, and are not precise, but some suggest that an islet is a very small, often unnamed, island with little or no vegetation to support human habitation. It may be made of rock, sand and/ ...

in the

North Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the Age of Discovery, it was known for se ...

, which lies west of St Kilda. Under the

Island of Rockall Act 1972 The Island of Rockall Act 1972 (c. 2) is a British act of Parliament formally incorporating the island of Rockall into the United Kingdom to protect it from Irish and Icelandic claims. The act as originally passed declared that the Island of R ...

, Rockall was assigned to the

Harris Harris may refer to: Places Canada * Harris, Ontario * Northland Pyrite Mine (also known as Harris Mine) * Harris, Saskatchewan * Rural Municipality of Harris No. 316, Saskatchewan Scotland * Harris, Outer Hebrides (sometimes called the Isle ...

district 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 county, counties, several municipality, municip ...

of Inverness-shire. The UK claim on Rockall is disputed, particularly by

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

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,

s and

landward district ''Landward'' is a long-running Scottish television programme focusing on agricultural and rural issues, produced and broadcast by BBC Scotland. Overview BBC Scotland had first produced its own farming programme, ''Farm Forum'', in 1965. This was ...

s 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 and Inner Hebrides parts of Inverness-shire 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 districts of

Barra Barra (; or ; ) is an island in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland, and the second southernmost inhabited island there, after the adjacent island of Vatersay to which it is connected by the Vatersay Causeway. In 2011, the population was 1,174. ...

North Uist North Uist (; ) is an island and community in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. Etymology In Donald Munro's ''A Description of the Western Isles of Scotland Called Hybrides'' of 1549, North Uist, Benbecula and South Uist are described as one isla ...

and

South Uist South Uist (, ; ) is the second-largest island of the Outer Hebrides in Scotland. At the 2011 census, it had a usually resident population of 1,754: a decrease of 64 since 2001. The island, in common with the rest of the Hebrides, is one of the ...

) became part of the Western Isles. The parts of Inverness-shire which went to the Highland Region were split between four 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 ...

: *

Badenoch and Strathspey Badenoch and Strathspey was a Districts of Scotland, local government district, created in 1975 as one of eight districts within the Highland (region), Highland region in Scotland. The district was abolished in 1996 when Highland was made a s ...

district, covering the burgh of

and district of

from Inverness-shire, plus the burgh of

and

district from

. *

district, covering the burgh of Inverness and districts of Aird and Inverness. *

district, covering the burgh of Fort William and district of Lochaber (which included the

) from Inverness-shire, plus the

Ardnamurchan Ardnamurchan (, ) is a peninsula in the ward management area of Lochaber, Highland, Scotland, noted for being very unspoiled and undisturbed. Its remoteness is accentuated by the main access route being a single track road for much of its l ...

district and

Ballachulish The village of Ballachulish ( or , from Scottish Gaelic ) in Lochaber, Highland, Scotland, is centred on former slate quarries, and now primarily serves tourists in the area. Name The name Ballachulish (from Scottish Gaelic, ''Baile a' Chao ...

and

Kinlochleven Kinlochleven () () is a coastal village located in Lochaber, in the Scottish Highlands and lies at the eastern end of Loch Leven. To the north lie the Mamores ridge; to the south lie the mountains flanking Glen Coe. The village was formed fro ...

electoral divisions from Argyll. *

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, covering the

district from Inverness-shire, plus the South West District from

. Prior to 1975, each county had appointed a

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 ...

. As part of the 1975 reforms, new lieutenancy areas were established instead. Inverness-shire was split between three lieutenancy areas: *

, covering the combined area of the new Badenoch and Strathspey, Inverness, and Lochaber districts (which included all the mainland parts of pre-1975 Inverness-shire). *

, covering both the Skye and Lochalsh district and the neighbouring

district. *

. The last Lord Lieutenant of the county, Donald Hamish Cameron of Lochiel, became Lord Lieutenant of the new Inverness lieutenancy area. 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 Inverness-shire (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

Inverness-shire is Scotland's largest historic county by land area. At the

1921 census The United Kingdom Census 1921 was a census of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland that was carried out on 19 June 1921. It was postponed for two months from April due to industrial unrest and no census was taken in Ireland due to the ...

it was reported to have an area of . Of the historic counties in the UK as a whole, only

Yorkshire Yorkshire ( ) is an area of Northern England which was History of Yorkshire, historically a county. Despite no longer being used for administration, Yorkshire retains a strong regional identity. The county was named after its county town, the ...

was larger. Stag at Loch Quoich - geograph

Its mainland section covers a large area of the

, bordering the

to the west and Beauly Firth and

to the east which provide access to the

North Sea The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Denmark, Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France. A sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian Se ...

. It is split into two by the

, a roughly 60-mile

geological fault Geology (). is a branch of natural science concerned with the Earth and other astronomical objects, the rocks of which they are composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology significantly overlaps all other Earth ...

which runs south-west to north-east and divides the

to the west from the

(including the Monadhliath Mountains) to the east. The glen contains the notable lochs of

(Scotland's second largest),

Loch Oich Loch Oich (; ) is a freshwater loch in the Highlands of Scotland which forms part of the Caledonian Canal, of which it is the highest point. This narrow loch lies between Loch Ness (to the north-east) and Loch Lochy (to the south-west) in the G ...

, and

Loch Lochy Loch Lochy () is a large freshwater loch in Lochaber, Highland (council area), Highland, Scotland. With a mean depth of , it is the third-deepest loch of Scotland. Geography Located southwest of Loch Ness along the Glen Albyn, Great Glen, the lo ...

, which are connected by the

Caledonian Canal The Caledonian Canal connects the Scottish east coast at Inverness with the west coast at Corpach near Fort William in Scotland. The canal was constructed in the early nineteenth century by Scottish engineer Thomas Telford. Route The can ...

. The Great Glen opens to the south-west into the sea loch of

Loch Linnhe Loch Linnhe ( ) is a sea loch in the Highland Council area, in the west of Scotland. The part upstream of Corran is known in Gaelic as (the black pool, originally known as Loch Abar), and downstream as (the salty pool). The name ''Linnhe ...

, the tallest peak in Britain, is located to the east of Fort William. The west coast consists of a number of peninsulas divided by long

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

inlets; north to south these are the Glenelg peninsula (shared with Ross-shire),

Loch Hourn Loch Hourn () is a sea loch which separates the peninsulas of Glenelg, Highland, Glenelg to the north and Knoydart to the south, on the west coast of Scotland. Geography Loch Hourn runs inland from the Sound of Sleat, opposite the island of Skye ...

Knoydart Knoydart () is a peninsula in Lochaber, Highland, on the west coast of Scotland. Knoydart is sandwiched between Lochs Nevis and Hourn — often translated as "Loch Heaven" (from the Gaelic ''Loch Néimh'') and "Loch Hell" (Gaelic: ''Loch ...

peninsula,

Loch Nevis Loch Nevis (Scottish Gaelic: ''Loch Nibheis'') is a loch, sea loch in Lochaber on the west coast of Scotland. It runs inland from the Sound of Sleat, and is bounded on the north by the peninsula of Knoydart and on the south by North Morar (the ...

, North and South

Morar Morar (; ) is a small village on the west coast of The Rough Bounds of Scotland, south of Mallaig. The name Morar is also applied to the northern part of the peninsula containing the village, though North Morar is more usual (the region to the ...

Arisaig Arisaig () is a village in Lochaber, Inverness-shire. It lies south of Mallaig on the west coast of the Scottish Highlands, within the Rough Bounds. Arisaig is also the traditional name for part of the surrounding peninsula south of Loch Mor ...

peninsula,

Loch Ailort Loch Ailort ( ; Scottish Gaelic: Loch Ailleart) is a sea loch in Morar, Lochaber, Highland, Scotland. Loch Ailort is a shallow, V-shaped loch, with the small Ardnish Peninsula on the north side, and the large, southwest-facing Moidart Peninsu ...

Moidart Moidart ( ; ) is part of the remote and isolated area of Scotland, west of Fort William, Highland, Fort William, known as the Rough Bounds. Moidart itself is almost surrounded by bodies of water. Loch Shiel cuts off the eastern boundary of the ...

peninsula and

Loch Moidart Loch Moidart is a sea loch in the district of Moidart in the Scottish Highlands. It is on the west coast of Scotland, and runs about 8 km (5 miles) eastward from the sea. It is connected to the sea by two narrow channels which are separated ...

. The west coast of Inverness-shire was traditionally referred to as the

Rough Bounds The Rough Bounds (), in the Scottish Highlands, is the area of West Inverness-shire bounded by Loch Hourn, Loch Shiel, and Loch Moidart, consisting of the districts of Knoydart, North Morar, Arisaig and Moidart. The area is famous for its wildn ...

due to its remoteness and inaccessibility. It remains wild and sparsely populated today. The terrain in Inverness-shire is generally mountainous, with numerous lochs scattered throughout the county. Some of the lochs have been enlarged to use as reservoirs. The larger inland lochs are: * Blackwater Reservoir *

Loch Arkaig Loch Arkaig () is a body of freshwater in Lochaber, Scotland, to the west of the Great Glen. It is approximately in length and lies above sea level, and the maximum depth is around . The loch is among the last remaining fragments of the Caled ...

* Loch Cluanie *

Loch Ericht Loch Ericht () is a freshwater loch on the border between the former Perthshire, now Perth and Kinross and the former Inverness-shire, now Highlands Council areas of Scotland. It has a north-east to south-west orientation. The village of Dalwh ...

Loch Garry Loch Garry (Scottish Gaelic: Loch Garraidh) is a freshwater loch 25 km north of Fort William, Lochaber, Scotland. Loch Garry is 11 km long and 50 m deep. It is fed by waters from Loch Quoich 10 km upstream on the River Garry, ...

Loch Laggan Loch Laggan is a freshwater loch situated approximately west of Dalwhinnie in the Scottish Highlands. The loch has an irregular shape, runs nearly northeast to southwest and is approximately in length. It has an average depth of and is at its ...

* Loch Loyne * Loch Mhor *

Loch Morar Loch Morar () is a freshwater loch in the Rough Bounds of Lochaber, Highland (council area), Highland, Scotland. It is the fifth-largest loch by surface area in Scotland, at , and the deepest freshwater body in the British Isles with a maximum ...

* Loch Mullardoch *

Loch Ossian Loch Ossian (Scottish Gaelic: "Loch Oisein") is a narrow loch that is about long on the north eastern edge of Rannoch Moor, on The Corrour Estate, with its western corner east of Corrour railway station. It is drained by the River Ossian, flow ...

Loch Quoich Loch Quoich (Scottish Gaelic: Loch Chuaich) is a loch and reservoir situated west of Loch Garry approximately 40 km northwest of Fort William, Lochaber, Scotland. The name means "loch of the quaich". In 1896, it was listed as six miles long ...

or Cuaich *

Loch Shiel :''See Glen Shiel for the much smaller Loch Shiel in Lochalsh.'' Loch Shiel () is a freshwater loch situated west of Fort William, Highland, Fort William in the Highland (council area), Highland subdivisions of Scotland, council area of Scotla ...

Loch Treig Loch Treig is a deep freshwater loch situated in a steep-sided glen 20km east of Fort William, in Lochaber, Highland, Scotland. While there are no roads alongside the loch, the West Highland Line follows its eastern bank. Loch Treig was origina ...

Lochan na h-Earba The single name Lochan na h-Earba is applied to two lochs above (and to the south of) Loch Laggan in Highland, Scotland, close to the historic boundary between Lochaber and Badenoch. It is thought that the two lochs once formed a single loch, but ...

Islands

Inverness-shire contains numerous small islands off its west coast which form part of the

. The largest of these is

, separated from the Inverness-shire mainland by the Sound of Sleat. It is the second largest island in Scotland and has numerous peninsulas and offshore islands. To the west, across the

Little 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 middle ...

, most of the

fall within the county, with the notable exception of

Lewis Lewis may refer to: Names * Lewis (given name), including a list of people with the given name * Lewis (surname), including a list of people with the surname Music * Lewis (musician), Canadian singer * " Lewis (Mistreated)", a song by Radiohe ...

which is in Ross-shire. Further west still lie the remote islands of St Kilda, which have been uninhabited since 1930. Much further west, 230 miles from the Outer Hebrides, lies the extremely remote, uninhabitable island of

, which is subject to a territorial dispute with

. The

were historically split between Inverness-shire and Argyll, with

Eigg Eigg ( ; ) is one of the Small Isles in the Scotland, Scottish Inner Hebrides. It lies to the south of the island of Isle of Skye, Skye and to the north of the Ardnamurchan peninsula. Eigg is long from north to south, and east to west. With ...

in Inverness-shire and the others ( Canna,

and

) in Argyll. As the Small Isles formed a single parish, the 1891 boundary review charged with placing parishes in a single county opted to place the whole parish in Inverness-shire.

Inner Hebrides

There are eleven islands in the Inner Hebrides that were in Inverness-shire prior to 1975 and were inhabited at the 2011 census. These are islands as defined by National Records of Scotland; some are tidal islands or have fixed links (bridges / causeways) to the mainland or other islands. * Canna *

Eilean Shona Eilean Shona () is a tidal island situated at the entrance of Moidart, Loch Moidart, on the west coast of Scotland, just north of the Ardnamurchan, Ardnamurchan Peninsula. The island is in area, with the highest point being Beinn a' Bhàillidh a ...

Raasay Raasay (; ), sometimes the Isle of Raasay, is an island between the Isle of Skye and the mainland of Scotland. It is separated from Skye by the Sound of Raasay and from Applecross by the Inner Sound, Scotland, Inner Sound. It is famous fo ...

* Rona *

* Sanday * Scalpay *

Soay Soay (pronounced "soy") is the name of several Scottish islands. It is Sòdhaigh (sometimes anglicised "Soaigh") in Scottish Gaelic, and comes from the Old Norse ''so-ey'' meaning "island of sheep". It may refer to: * Soay, Inner Hebrides off south ...

File:Gravel beach, North-east Isle of Eigg - geograph.org.uk - 1466077.jpg, Coast of Eigg File:Dun Caan from Loch na Mna.jpg, Dùn Caan mountain on Raasay File:Oronsay Loch Bracadale 01.jpg, Oronsay, off Skye File:Quiraing, Isle of Skye.jpg, Landscape of northern Skye

Outer Hebrides

There are thirteen islands in the Outer Hebrides that were in Inverness-shire prior to 1975 and were inhabited at the 2011 census. * Baleshare *

Benbecula Benbecula ( ; or ) is an island of the Outer Hebrides in the Atlantic Ocean off the west coast of Scotland. In the 2011 census, it had a resident population of 1,283 with a sizable percentage of Roman Catholics. It is in a zone administered by ...

* Berneray *

Eriskay Eriskay (), from the Old Norse for "Eric's Isle", is an island and community council area of the Outer Hebrides in northern Scotland with a population of 143, as of the United Kingdom Census 2011, 2011 census. It lies between South Uist and Bar ...

Flodaigh Flodaigh is a tidal island lying to the north of Benbecula and south of Grimsay in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. It is connected to Benbecula by a causeway. The island is 145 hectares The hectare (; SI symbol: ha) is a non-SI metric un ...

Grimsay Grimsay () is a tidal island in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. Geography Grimsay is the largest of the low-lying stepping-stones which convey the Oitir Mhòr (North Ford) causeway, a arc of single track road linking North Uist and Benbecul ...

(north) *

(south) *

(part of the larger

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 ...

island) *

* Scalpay *

Vatersay The island of Vatersay (; ) is the southernmost and westernmost inhabited island in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland, and the settlement of Caolas on the north coast of the island is the westernmost permanently inhabited place in Scotland. The m ...

File:Borve Standing Stones.JPG, Standing stone on Barra File:Old lazybeds on North Harris.jpg, The '

lazy bed Lazy bed ( or ; ; Faroese language, Faroese: ''letivelta'') is a traditional method of arable cultivation, often used for potatoes. Rather like cord rig cultivation, parallel banks of ridge and furrow are dug by spade although lazy beds have ...

s' of Harris File:Looking over North Uist - geograph.org.uk - 857223.jpg, Lakes of North Uist File:Benbecula Beach.jpg, Beach on Benbecula File:South Ridge of Stulabhal - geograph.org.uk - 15963.jpg, Mountains on South Uist

Coat of arms

Inverness-shire County Council was granted a

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the last two being outer garments), originating in Europe. The coat of arms on an escutcheon f ...

in 1927, based on the design of the council's official

seal Seal may refer to any of the following: Common uses * Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals, many of which are commonly called seals, particularly: ** Earless seal, also called "true seal" ** Fur seal ** Eared seal * Seal ( ...

. The

blazon In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct an accurate image. The verb ''to blazon'' means to create such a description. The visual d ...

read: : Azure, in sinister chief a stag's head and in dexter chief a bull's head both erased and in base a galley, sails furled, oars in action and flagged, all Or. Beneath the shield is an escrol bearing this motto: '. The galley represents

Clan Chattan Clan Chattan ( or ), also sometimes referred to as "Clan Dhugaill" (Quehele) after its progenitor Dougall-Dall, is a unique confederation of Highland clans. This distinctive allied community comprised at its greatest extent seventeen separate ...

, who aligned themselves under the banner of Somerled, Lord of the Isles. The stag's head comes from the crest of the Frasers of Lovat, while the bull's head comes from the crest of the MacLeods of that Ilk. The motto is in Gaelic and means "For the Good of the County".

Civil parishes

Civil parishes are still used for some statistical purposes, and separate census figures are published for them. As their areas have been largely unchanged since the 19th century this allows for comparison of population figures over an extended period. Parishes had parish boards from 1845 to 1894 and then parish councils from 1894 to 1930. They have had no administrative functions since 1930. In 1854 there had been 36 civil parishes, 7 of which had straddled county boundaries. Following the 1891 boundary changes, which sought to eliminate cases where parishes straddled county boundaries, there were 33 parishes in the county. *

Abernethy and Kincardine Abernethy and Kincardine is a civil parish, and former registration district and ecclesiastical parish, in the Highland council area of Scotland. The name is not in use for any modern administrative entity, but remains as the usual description fo ...

Alvie Alvie () is a small crofting hamlet, a working Scottish highland estate and civil parish, located on the south shore of Loch Alvie in the Badenoch and Strathspey area of Inverness-shire, within the Scottish council area of Highland. Alvie si ...

Ardersier Ardersier () is a small former fishing village in the Scottish Highlands on the Moray Firth near Fort George, between Inverness and Nairn. Its name may be an anglicisation of the Gaelic "Àird nan Saor", or "Headland of the joiners", one loca ...

and

* Boleskine and Abertarff * Bracadale (on Skye) * Croy and Dalcross (straddled border with Nairnshire) * Daviot and Dunlichity * Dores * Duirinish (on Skye) *

Duthil Duthil () is a small village, bypassed by the A938 road, at the junction with the road B9007, near Carrbridge in Inverness-shire, Scottish Highlands and is in the Scottish council area of Highland Highlands or uplands are areas of high el ...

and Rothiemurchus * Glenelg *

and Bona *

Kilmallie Kilmallie () is a civil parish in Lochaber, in the west highlands of Scotland. It is centered on the village of Caol, near Fort William and extends to Banavie and Corpach. It gives its name to the local shinty Shinty () is a team sport pl ...

Kilmonivaig Kilmonivaig () is a small village, situated close to the southeast end of Loch Lochy in Spean Bridge, Inverness-shire, Scottish Highlands and is in the Scottish council area of Highland. Fort William lies approximately 15 miles southwest of K ...

Kilmorack Kilmorack () is a small hamlet in Inverness-shire, in the Highlands of Scotland and now in the Highland Council area. It is situated on the north bank of the River Beauly, west of Beauly and west of the city of Inverness. The river is part of ...

* Kilmuir (on Skye) *

Kiltarlity Kiltarlity () is a small village in the Highland council area of Scotland. It is west of Inverness and south of Beauly, on the south bank of the Bruiach Burn. It has a population of under 1,000 people, and a local primary school, Tomnacross P ...

and Convinth *

and

Insh Insh () is a village in Highland, Scotland that lies on the east coast of the Insh Marshes. It is in the Badenoch and Strathspey area, around east of Kingussie, in the Spey valley. It is located in historic Inverness-shire. The B970 road from K ...

* Kirkhill * Laggan * Moy and Dalarossie *

* Petty *

Portree Portree (; , ) is the capital and largest town of the Isle of Skye in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland.W.H. Murray, Murray, W.H. (1966) ''The Hebrides''. London. Heinemann. Pages 154-155. It is a civil parishes in Scotland, civil parish and lies ...

(on Skye) *

Sleat Sleat ( ) is a peninsula and civil parish on the island of Skye in the Highland council area of Scotland, known as "the garden of Skye". It is the home of the clan '' MacDonald of Sleat''. The name comes from the Scottish Gaelic , which in tur ...

(on Skye) *

* Snizort (on Skye) *

* Strath (on Skye) * Urquhart and Glenmoriston Many changes have taken place since the Reformation period: * North Uist was a union of the ancient parishes of Kilmuir and Sand; South Uist of the parishes of Benbecula, Howmore, and Kilpeter. *Croy and Dalcross, and Kiltarlity and Convinth, were united c. 1500. * Abernethy and Kincardine, and Urquhart and Glenmoriston, were united at the Reformation. At the same time Petty was formed by the union of the ancient parishes of Petyn and Bracholy (or Brackley). * Boleskine and Abertarff, and Inverness and Bona, and Daviot and Dunlichity, were united in 1618. At the same time Kirkhill was formed by a union of the ancient parishes of Wardlaw and Farnua. * Duthil and Rothiemurchus were united in 1630. * Small Isles was created from Sleat in 1726; unusually, there was no parish church and the congregation met in the schoolhouse on Eigg. There are some indications that Canna and Kildonan (Eigg) may have been medieval parishes at an earlier date. * In 1895 the parish of Arisaig and Moidart were created out of Ardnamurchan parish, the rest of which lay in Argyll. Arisaig (aka Kilmorie) and another parish, Eilean Fhianain, were medieval parishes united to Ardnamurchan at the Reformation. * Portree was created out of parts of Snizort and Kilmuir parishes in 1726. *Kingussie and Insh, and Moy and Dalarossie, were united at an unknown date. *Minginish (Skye) was absorbed into Bracadale; Trumpan was absorbed into Duirinish; Uig was absorbed into Snizort; Rodel was absorbed into Harris; Kilmaluoc (Raasay) was absorbed into Snizort or Kilmuir.

Transport

The

Highland Main Line The Highland Main Line is a railway line in Scotland. It is long and runs through the central Scottish Highlands, mainly following the route of the A9 road (Scotland), A9, and linking a series of small towns and villages with Perth, Scotland, ...

connects Inverness by rail to

Perth Perth () is the list of Australian capital cities, capital city of Western Australia. It is the list of cities in Australia by population, fourth-most-populous city in Australia, with a population of over 2.3 million within Greater Perth . The ...

to the south,

Kyle of Lochalsh Kyle of Lochalsh ( , "strait of the foaming loch") is a village in the historic county of Ross & Cromarty on the northwest coast of Scotland, located around west-southwest of Inverness. It is located on the Lochalsh peninsula, at the entranc ...

to the west, and

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 ...

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 ...

to the north. The

West Highland Line The West Highland Line ( – "Iron Road to the Isles") is a railway line linking the ports of Mallaig and Oban in the Scottish Highlands to Glasgow in Central Scotland. The line was voted the top rail journey in the world by readers of indepen ...

connects Fort William to

Mallaig Mallaig (; ) is a seaport, port in Morar, on the west coast of the Scottish Highlands, Highlands of Scotland. It faces Skye from across the Sound of Sleat. The Mallaig railway station, local railway station is the terminus of the West Highlan ...

. The Inverness to

Aberdeen Aberdeen ( ; ; ) is a port city in North East Scotland, and is the List of towns and cities in Scotland by population, third most populous Cities of Scotland, Scottish city. Historically, Aberdeen was within the historic county of Aberdeensh ...

main line also serves

Nairn Nairn (; ) is a town and former royal burgh in the Highland (council area), Highland Council council areas of Scotland, area of Scotland. It is an ancient fishing port and market town around east of Inverness, at the point where the River Nair ...

within the

Highland Council The Highland Council (' ) is the local authority for Highland, one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. The council is based at the Highland Council Headquarters in Inverness. History The Highland area had been created as an administrative a ...

's area. The Isle of Skye is connected to the mainland by a

bridge A bridge is a structure built to Span (engineering), span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or railway) without blocking the path underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, whi ...

from

in Ross-shire. Various bus companies serve the larger towns of the county, such as

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 ...

and

Scottish Citylink Scottish Citylink is a long-distance express coach operator in Scotland and Ireland (where it operates as Irish Citylink) and formerly England (where it operated as Stansted Citylink). The company was formed as a subsidiary of Scottish Transp ...

. Shiel Buses operate local buses in the Fort William area. Stagecoach operates several bus routes on the Isle of Skye. Numerous ferries connect the islands of the Outer Hebrides, the Inner Hebrides, and the Scottish Mainland. There are three airports in the county:

, and

. All three operate flights within Scotland, with Inverness also providing flights to other cities in the UK as well as some destinations in Europe. Barra Airport is famous within aviation circles as it is the only airport in the world where scheduled flights use a beach as the runway.

Settlements

Mainland

Abriachan Abriachan (; Gaelic: ''Obar Itheachan''), is a village in the Highland council area of Scotland. It is situated high above the western shore of Loch Ness, 15 km to the south-west of the city of Inverness. The village has a population of ap ...

The Aird The Aird (from Scottish Gaelic ''An Àird'', "the high place") is a district of Inverness-shire lying on the south side of the Beauly Firth, between the rivers Beauly and Ness. It includes the villages of Kirkhill, Kiltarlity, Lentran and ...

* Altrua *

* Ballifeary * Balloch * Balnafettack *

Beauly Beauly ( ; ; ) is a village in Scotland's Highland (council area), Highland area, on the River Beauly, west of Inverness by the Far North Line, Far North railway line. The town is historically within Kilmorack Parish of the County of Inverness. ...

Boat of Garten Boat of Garten (; originally: Garten) is a small village and post town in Badenoch and Strathspey, Highland, Scotland. In 1951, the population was less than 400; in 1971, it was almost 500; in 1981, it was almost 700, and the same in 2001. Topon ...

* Bught *

Cannich Cannich (Gaelic: ''Canaich'') is a village at the southern end of Strathglass, in the Highlands of Scotland, about west of the city of Inverness. It is at the furthest point of the A831 that loops around the Aird from Beauly to Drumnadrochit. ...

Carrbridge Carrbridge (, ) is a village in Badenoch and Strathspey in the Scottish Highlands. It lies off the A9 on the A938, west of Skye of Curr and southeast of Tomatin, near Bogroy. It has the oldest stone bridge in the Highlands and the nearby a ...

* Clachnaharry *

Cradlehall Cradlehall was originally the name given to the hall built by Major William Caulfeild, later known as Cradlehall Farmhouse. The name "Cradle" supposedly comes from a pulley-operated lift (called a cradle) that was used to hoist drunken guests u ...

Crown A crown is a traditional form of head adornment, or hat, worn by monarchs as a symbol of their power and dignity. A crown is often, by extension, a symbol of the monarch's government or items endorsed by it. The word itself is used, parti ...

* Croy * Culcabock *

Culduthel Culduthel (Scottish Gaelic, Gaelic: ''Cùil Daothail'') is an area in the south of the city of Inverness, in the Highland (council area), Highland council area of Scotland. The area is largely residential, and is the location of Inverness Royal ...

* Culloden * Dalneigh *

Dalwhinnie Dalwhinnie ( ; "meeting place") is a small village in the Scottish Highlands. Dalwhinnie is located at the head of Glen Truim and the north-east end of Loch Ericht, on the western edge of the Cairngorms National Park. Location Dalwhinnie sits a ...

* Dores *

Drakies Drakies is a small housing estate on the outskirts of Inverness, Scotland, lying immediately south of the former Inverness-shire village of Culcabock. Both these areas are now suburbs of the city of Inverness. Formerly farming land, Drakies was ...

Drumnadrochit Drumnadrochit (; ) is a village in the Highland (council area), Highland Local government in Scotland, local government Council areas of Scotland, council area of Scotland, lying near the west shore of Loch Ness at the foot of Glen Urquhart. The ...

* Dulnain Bridge *

Fort Augustus Fort Augustus is a settlement in the parish of Boleskine and Abertarff, at the south-west end of Loch Ness, Scottish Highlands. The village has a population of around 646 (2001). Its economy is heavily reliant on tourism. History Early histo ...

* Fort William * Foyers * Glenelg *

Glenfinnan Glenfinnan ( ) is a hamlet in Lochaber area of the Scottish Highlands, Highlands of Scotland. In 1745 the Jacobite rising of 1745, Jacobite rising began here when Prince Charles Edward Stuart ("Bonnie Prince Charlie") raised his House of Stuart ...

* Highbridge * Hilton *

Holm Holm may refer to: Places * Holm (island), the name of several islands * Holm, Nordfriesland, Germany * Holm, Pinneberg, Germany * Holm (Flensburg), Flensburg, Germany * Holm, Nordland, a village in Bindal Municipality in Nordland county ...

* Inchmore *

* Inshes * Inverfarigaig *

Invergarry Invergarry () is a village in the Highlands of Scotland, located about north-east of Fort William. It is in the Great Glen, near where the River Garry flows into Loch Oich. Geography Near the centre of the village is the junction between th ...

Inverie Inverie (; ) is the main village on the Knoydart peninsula in the Scottish Highlands. It is located on the north side of Loch Nevis and, although on the mainland of Britain, the network of single-track roads surrounding the village is not conne ...

* Inverlochy *

Invermoriston Invermoriston (''Inbhir Mhoireastain'' in Gaelic) () is a small village north of Fort Augustus, Highland, Scotland. The village is on the A82 road, at a junction with the A887. The village's most visited attraction is the Thomas Telford brid ...

Kincraig Kincraig () is a village located north of Kingussie and south of Aviemore in Highland, Scotland. Its original name was Boat of Inch, reflecting the ferry boat crossing of the Spey River that once operated here but the name was changed after a s ...

* Kinmylies * Kirkhill *

Laggan, Badenoch Laggan (Gaelic: ''Lagan'' ) is a village in Badenoch, in the Highland region of Scotland. It is beside the River Spey, about 10 km west of Newtonmore. The A86 road passes through the village and crosses the river on a nearby bridge. It is ...

Laggan, Great Glen Laggan () is a small village in the Great Glen, in the Highland region of Scotland. The older, longer Gaelic name is Lagan Achaidh Droma, "hollow at the field of the ridge". Geography Laggan is often considered to be two separate settlements, N ...

* Leachkin *

Lochailort Lochailort ( , ) is a hamlet in Scotland that lies at the head of Loch Ailort, a sea loch, on the junction of the Road to the Isles (A830 road, A830) between Fort William, Highland, Fort William and Mallaig with the A861 road, A861 towards Salen, ...

* Lochardil *

Longman Longman, also known as Pearson Longman, is a publisher, publishing company founded in 1724 in London, England, which is owned by Pearson PLC. Since 1968, Longman has been used primarily as an imprint by Pearson's Schools business. The Longman ...

Merkinch Merkinch (from the Scottish Gaelic: ''Marc-Innis'', meaning "The Horse Island") is an area of the city of Inverness in the Scottish Highlands. Originally an island separated from the rest of the city by a small river to the south known as The A ...

* Millburn * Milton of Leys *

* Moy *

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 ...

(''shared with Ross-shire'') * Muirtown *

Nethy Bridge Nethy Bridge ( or ') is a small village in Strathspey in the Highland council area of Scotland. The village lies south of Grantown-on-Spey within the historical parish of Abernethy and Kincardine, and the Cairngorms National Park. History O ...

Newtonmore Newtonmore ( ) is a village of approximately 1100 inhabitants in Badenoch, within the Highland (council area), Highland council area of Scotland. The village is only a few miles from a location that is claimed to be the exact geographical centre ...

North Ballachulish The village of Ballachulish ( or , from Scottish Gaelic ) in Lochaber, Scottish Highlands, Highland, Scotland, is centred on former slate quarries, and now primarily serves tourists in the area. Name The name Ballachulish (from Scottish Gae ...

* Onich * Raigmore *

Roybridge Roybridge (, 'the bridge over the Roy') is a small village, that lies at the confluence of the rivers River Roy and River Spean, located east of Spean Bridge, in Kilmonivaig Parish, Inverness-shire, Scottish Highlands and is in the Highland a ...

* Scorguie * Smithton *

South Kessock South Kessock (Scottish Gaelic: ''Ceasag a Deas'', meaning "Ceasag's Place") is an area of the city of Inverness in the Highland (council area), Highland council area of Scotland. It is situated to the city's north at the mouth of the River Ness ...

Spean Bridge Spean Bridge () is a village in the parish of Kilmonivaig, in Lochaber in the Highland region of Scotland. The village takes its name from the Highbridge over the River Spean on General Wade's military road between Fort William and Fort A ...

Struy Struy ( or ) is a small village at the end of Glen Strathfarrar, about 15 km south-west of Beauly in the Highland council area of Scotland. Description The confluence of the River Farrar and the River Glass is a short distance to the eas ...

Tomatin Tomatin () is a small village on the River Findhorn in Strathdearn in the Scottish Highlands, about southeast of the city of Inverness. The name derives from the Scottish Gaelic name ''Tom Aitinn'' (hill of juniper). The river Findhorn rises at ...

* Tomich * Westhill

Islands

* Achachork (Skye) * Aird of Sleat (Skye) *

Allasdale Allasdale (, ) is a settlement on Barra in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. The settlement is also within the parish of Barra, and is situated on the A888 which is the island's circular main road. History In May 2007 Channel 4's archaeological te ...

(Barra) *

Amhuinnsuidhe Amhuinnsuidhe () is a settlement on Harris, in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. The settlement is also within the parish of Harris. Amhuinnsuidhe is centred on the country house, Amhuinnsuidhe Castle, which is adjacent to the B887 road. Geography A ...

(Harris) *

Ardhasaig Ardhasaig () is a settlement on the western coast of north Harris, in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. Ardhasaig is also within the parish of Harris, and is situated on the A859 which links Harris with Stornoway Stornoway (; ) is the main ...

(Harris) * Ardheisker (North Uist) * Ardmore (Barra) *

Ardvasar Ardvasar () is a village near the southern end of the Sleat peninsula, on the Isle of Skye in Scotland. It is just to the south of the village of Armadale, Skye, Armadale, where a ferry crosses to Mallaig. Nearby attractions include Armadale Castl ...

(Skye) * Ardveenish (Barra) * Armadale (Skye) * Ashaig (Skye) * Askernish (South Uist) * Auratote (South Uist) * Bail' Iochdrach (Benbecula) * Baile Glas (Grimsay) * Balgarva (South Uist) *

Balivanich Balivanich ( ) is a village on the island of Benbecula in the Outer Hebrides off the west coast of Scotland. It is the main centre for Benbecula and the adjacent islands of North Uist, South Uist and several smaller islands. Balivanich is with ...

(Benbecula) * Bernisdale (Skye) * Bogach (Barra) * Bornesketaig (Skye) * Boreraig (Skye) * Bornish (South Uist) * Borreraig (Skye) * Borrodale (Skye) * Borsham (Harris) * Borve (Barra) * Borve (Harris) * Borve (Skye) * Bracadale (Skye) * Brevig (Barra) * Broadford (Skye) *

Brogaig Brogaig (), Norse for Burgh Bay, is a small coastal village, on the northwest coast of the Trotternish peninsula, close to Staffin and Stenscholl, in the Isle of Skye in Scotland and is in the council area of Highland Highlands or uplands a ...

(Skye) * Bualintur (Skye) *

Camastianavaig Camustianavaig (also English spelling: ''Camustinivaig'') is a crofting township on the island of Skye in Scotland. It is located on the shores of the Sound of Raasay, southeast of Portree. The ''Lòn Bàn'' watercourse flows from Loch Fada to ...

(Skye) * Camuscross (Skye) * Caolas (Vatersay) * Carbost (Loch Harport, Skye) * Carbost (Trotternish, Skye) *

Carinish Carinish (), is a hamlet on North Uist, in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. It is in the south of the island, about from the causeway to Benbecula. The hamlet is known for the Carinish Stone Circle and the Trinity Temple. Carinish is within the pa ...

(North Uist) *

Castlebay Castlebay ( ) is the main village and a community council area on the island of Barra in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. The village is located on the south coast of the island, and overlooks a bay in the Atlantic Ocean dominated by Kisimul Castl ...

(Barra) * Claigan (Skye) *

Cleadale Cleadale () is a settlement on the north west side of the island of Eigg, in the Small Isles of Scotland and is in the council area of Highland Highlands or uplands are areas of high elevation such as a mountainous region, elevated mountaino ...

(Eigg) *

Colbost Colbost () is a scattered Hamlet (place), hamlet on the B884 road, in the Glendale, Skye, Glendale estate, overlooking Dunvegan, Loch Dunvegan on the Scottish island of Skye. The two main attractions of this small settlement are The Three Chimn ...

(Skye) * Daliburgh (South Uist) * Drumfearn (Skye) * Drynoch (Skye) * Dunan (Skye) *

Duntulm Duntulm () is a township situated on the northwest coast of the Trotternish peninsula on the Isle of Skye, and is made up of Shulista (North Duntulm) and South Duntulm. It is located on the single-track A855 road (Great Britain), A855 road about ...

(Skye) *

Dunvegan Dunvegan () is a village on the Isle of Skye in Scotland. It is famous for Dunvegan Castle, seat of the chiefs of Clan MacLeod. Dunvegan is within the parish of Duirinish, Skye, Duirinish. In 2011, it had a population of 386. Name In ''The Nors ...

(Skye) *

Edinbane Edinbane (Scottish Gaelic: ''An t-Aodann Bàn'' the fair hill-face) is a small village on the island of Skye, Scotland. Location Edinbane lies on the A850 road at the foot of the Waternish Peninsula on the Isle of Skye, Scotland, from Portree ...

(Skye) *

Elgol Elgol () is a village on the shores of Loch Scavaig towards the end of the Strathaird peninsula in the Isle of Skye, in the Scottish Highlands. Name According to tradition, its name derives from a battle fought with five ships by Aella, a foll ...

(Skye) *

Ellishadder Ellishadder () is a crofting township, situated close to the north shore of the freshwater Loch Mealt, on the Trotternish peninsula of the Isle of Skye, and is in the Scottish council area of Highland. Ellishadder is one of 23 townships making u ...

(Skye) * Eynort (Skye) * Eyre (Skye) * Fasach (Skye) * Feorlig (Skye) * Ferindonald (Skye) * Fiskavaig (Skye) * Flashader (Skye) *

Flodigarry Flodigarry () is a scattered settlement on the north east side of the Trotternish peninsula on the island of Skye, and is in the Scottish council area of Highland Highlands or uplands are areas of high elevation such as a mountainous region, ...

(Skye) * Galmisdale (Eigg) * Galtrigill (Skye) * Garafad (Skye) * Geary (Skye) * Gedintailor (Skye) * Gillen (Skye) * Glendale (Skye) *

Halistra Halistra (), is a small crofting township located on the west coast of the Waternish peninsula, overlooking Loch Bay, on the island of Skye, Scotland. It is in the Scottish council area of Highland. It comprises Upper Halistra, Lower Halistra an ...

(Skye) *

Harlosh Harlosh () is a settlement on the island of Skye off the west coast of Scotland. The settlement is on a peninsula of the same name. Situated at the end of a narrow peninsula between Lochs Caroy and Bharcasaig (both of which are arms of Loch Br ...

(Skye) * Heaste (Skye) * Howmore (South Uist) * Hushinish (Harris) *

Inverarish Inverarish () is a village that is the main settlement of the Isle of Raasay, in the civil parish of Portree, in the council area of Highland Highlands or uplands are areas of high elevation such as a mountainous region, elevated mountainous ...

(Raasay) * Iochdar (South Uist) *

Isleornsay Isleornsay (Scottish Gaelic: Eilean Iarmain) is a village lying off the main Armadale to Sleat road (the A851) on the Isle of Skye in Scotland. It overlooks, but is not upon, the island of Ornsay. The island itself shelters one of the best natur ...

(Skye) * Kensaleyre (Skye) * Kilaulay (South Uist) * Kilbride (Skye) * Kilmaluag (Skye) * Kilmarie (Skye) * Kilmore (Skye) * Kilmuir (Skye) * Kilvaxter (Skye) * Kingsburgh (Skye) *

Kyleakin Kyleakin (; Scottish Gaelic: ''Caol Àcain'') is a village situated on the east coast of the Isle of Skye in the Inner Hebrides, Scotland. The village is along the strait of Kyle Akin, opposite the northwest Scottish mainland town of Kyle of L ...

(Skye) *

Kylerhea Kylerhea (Scottish Gaelic: ''Caol Reatha'') is a village on the east coast of the Isle of Skye, in the Scottish Highlands, overlooking Kyle Rhea, a strait splitting Skye from the Scottish mainland. The village is named after Acunn and Riadh, R ...

(Skye) * Lealt (Skye) * Leverburgh (Harris) *

Lochboisdale Lochboisdale ( ) is the main village and port on the island of South Uist, Outer Hebrides, Scotland. Lochboisdale is within the parish of South Uist, and is situated on the shore of Loch Baghasdail at the southern end of the A865. History The ...

(South Uist) *

Lochmaddy Lochmaddy ( , "Loch of the Hounds") is the administrative centre of North Uist in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. ''Na Madaidhean'' (the wolves/hounds) are rocks in the bay after which the loch, and subsequently the village, are named. Lochmaddy i ...

(North Uist) * Lower Breakish (Skye) * Luib (Skye) * Luskentyre (Harris) * Milovaig (Skye) *

Mugeary Mugeary () is a farm or croft and former settlement on the island of Skye, Scotland. Located southwest of Portree, it is known as the location where the basaltic rock mugearite was first identified. The Gaelic name is derived from Old Norse a ...

(Skye) *

Newtonferry Newtonferry (, "the harbour of the ships") is a small crofting community on the island of North Uist in the Western Isles of Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains ...

(North Uist) * Northbay (Barra) *

Nunton Nunton is a small village and former civil parish in Wiltshire, England, about south-east of Salisbury, which has been part of Odstock parish since 1934. The former parish included the small village of Bodenham, to the east. Nunton is on th ...

(Benbecula) * Ollach (Skye) * Ose (Skye) *

Peinachorran Peinchorran (; Peinachorrain on Ordnance Survey maps) is a remote settlement, lying at the end of the B883 road, on the north east headland of Loch Sligachan on the island of Skye in the Highlands of Scotland. It is in the council area of Highl ...

(Skye) * Portnalong (Skye) *

(Skye) * Ramasaig (Skye) * Rèinigeadal (Harris) * Roag (Skye) * Rodel (Harris) *

Sconser Sconser () is a small croft (land), crofting township on the island of Skye, in Scotland, situated on the south shore of Loch Sligachan. The main A87 road, A87 road of Skye passes through Sconser and the ferry to Raasay departs from the pier. Le ...

(Skye) *

Skeabost Skeabost () is a township, at the head of the sea loch, Loch Snizort Beag in the southern end of the Trotternish peninsula on the island of Skye in the Scottish Highlands and is in the Scotland, Scottish council area of Highland Council area, Hig ...

(Skye) *

Sligachan Sligachan () is a small settlement on Skye, Scotland. It is close to the Cuillin mountains and provides a good viewpoint for seeing the Cuillin, Black Cuillin mountains. Amenities Sligachan is situated at the junction of the roads from Portree, ...

(Skye) *

Staffin Staffin () is a township with the Gaelic name ''An Taobh Sear'', which translates as "the East Side", on the northeast coast of the Trotternish peninsula on the Isle of Skye. It is located on the A855 road about north of Portree and is over ...

(Skye) *

Stoneybridge Stoneybridge () is a village on the island of South Uist in Scotland. The Crois Chnoca Breaca standing stone is situated to the west of the village. Stoneybridge is within the parish of South Uist and the chapel was also situated west of the se ...

(South Uist) *

Stein Stein may refer to: Places Austria * Stein, a neighbourhood of Krems an der Donau, Lower Austria * Stein, Styria, a municipality in the district of Fürstenfeld, Styria * Stein (Lassing), a village in the district of Liezen, Styria * Stein a ...

(Skye) *

Sollas Sollas () is a small crofting township on the northern coast of the island of North Uist, Scotland. History The Battle of Sollas From Sollas, the road that heads towards Bayhead is known as the ''Committee Road''. It is called this as it was o ...

(North Uist) * Struan (Skye) * Suladale (Skye) *

Talisker Talisker () is a settlement on the Minginish peninsula in the Isle of Skye, Scotland. History Talisker was for centuries a possession of the Clan Macleod. For nearly two hundred years it was associated with a cadet branch of the chiefly line, f ...

(Skye) *

Tarbert Tarbert () is a place name in Scotland and Ireland. Places named Tarbert are characterised by a narrow strip of land, or isthmus. This can be where two lochs nearly meet, or a causeway out to an island. Etymology All placenames that variously s ...

(Harris) *

Tarskavaig Tarskavaig (''Tarsgabhaig'' in Scottish Gaelic) is a crofting village on the west coast of Sleat on the Isle of Skye in Scotland. It sits in a glen which meets Tarskavaig Bay and lies opposite the Isles of Eigg, Rum and Canna. It is often said th ...

(Skye) *

Teangue Teangue () is a fishing village on the Sleat peninsula, Isle of Skye, Highlands of Scotland. It is situated in Knock Bay on the west side of the Sound of Sleat. It is in the Scottish council area of Highland. Knock Castle is located to the we ...

(Skye) * Tigharry (North Uist) *

Torrin Torrin () is a settlement on the island of Skye in Scotland. Geography The crofting and fishing village of Torrin lies on the eastern shore of Loch Slapin, southwest of Broadford (''An t-Àth Leathann''), on the road to Elgol (''Ealaghol'' ...

(Skye) *

Totaig Totaig (from Old Norse ''Topt-vík'') is a small crofting settlement on the west coast of Loch Dunvegan on the Isle of Skye. The village of Dunvegan Dunvegan () is a village on the Isle of Skye in Scotland. It is famous for Dunvegan Castle, ...

(Skye) * Tote (Skye) * Treaslane (Skye) *

Trumpan Trumpan () is a hamlet located on the Vaternish peninsula in the Isle of Skye, in the Scottish council area of the Highland. Trumpan Church, which is now a ruin, was the focus of a particularly brutal incident in 1578, when the Clan MacDonald ...

(Skye) *

Uachdar Uachdar ( ) is a settlement on the Outer Hebridean Island of Benbecula. Uachdar is within the parish of South Uist South Uist (, ; ) is the second-largest island of the Outer Hebrides in Scotland. At the 2011 census, it had a usually reside ...

(Benbecula) * Uig (Duirinish, Skye) * Uig (Snizort, Skye) * Uigshader (Skye) * Ullinish (Skye) * Upper Breakish (Skye) * Vatten (Skye)

Parliamentary constituencies

There was an Inverness-shire constituency of the

Parliament of Great Britain The Parliament of Great Britain was formed in May 1707 following the ratification of the Acts of Union 1707, Acts of Union by both the Parliament of England and the Parliament of Scotland. The Acts ratified the treaty of Union which created a ...

(

Westminster Westminster is the main settlement of the City of Westminster in Central London, Central London, England. It extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street and has many famous landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, Buckingham Palace, ...

) from 1708 to 1801 and 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 ...

(also at Westminster) from 1801 to 1918. The constituency represented, nominally, the county of Inverness minus the parliamentary burgh of Inverness, which was represented as a component of the Inverness District of Burghs constituency. In 1918 the county constituency was divided between two new constituencies, the

Inverness constituency Inverness was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1918 until 1983. It elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first-past-the-post system of election. There was also a county constituen ...

and the Western Isles constituency. The Inverness constituency included the burgh of Inverness, other components of the

district of burghs The Act of Union 1707 and pre-Union Scottish legislation provided for 14 Members of Parliament (MPs) from Scotland to be elected from districts of burghs. All the parliamentary burghs (burghs represented in the pre-Union Parliament of Scotland ...

being divided between the Moray and Nairn constituency and the Ross and Cromarty constituency. In 1983, eight years after the local government county of Inverness had been divided between the

region and the

council area, three new constituencies were created to cover the Highland region. The region, until 1996, and the unitary Highland council area, 1996 to present, have been covered by three constituencies since then but there were changes to boundaries and names in 1997 and 2005. In 1999 the areas of the Westminster constituencies became also constituencies of the

Scottish Parliament The Scottish Parliament ( ; ) is the Devolution in the United Kingdom, devolved, unicameral legislature of Scotland. It is located in the Holyrood, Edinburgh, Holyrood area of Edinburgh, and is frequently referred to by the metonym 'Holyrood'. ...

( Holyrood). The boundaries of Scottish Parliament constituencies have not altered since then. The Holyrood constituencies are within the Highlands and Islands electoral region. Since 1983, ''Inverness'' has appeared in the names of Westminster and Holyrood constituencies as tabled below.

Westminster constituencies

Holyrood constituencies

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Inverness-Shire Counties of Scotland Counties of the United Kingdom (1801–1922) Districts of Scotland

History

Inverness-shire County Council

Since 1975

Geography

Islands

Inner Hebrides

Outer Hebrides

Coat of arms

Civil parishes

Transport

Settlements

Mainland

Islands

Parliamentary constituencies

Westminster constituencies

Holyrood constituencies

See also

References