Editing Dingwall (section)

===Early middle ages===

In the early Middle Ages Dingwall Castle, which was established in the 11th century, was reputed to have the largest castle north of Stirling.<ref>Norman Macrae,  Romance of a Royal Burgh: Dingwall's Story of a Thousand Years Publisher: EP Publishing Ltd. {{ISBN|0715810715}}</ref> King [[Alexander II of Scotland|Alexander II]] created Dingwall a [[royal burgh]] in 1226, the burgh becoming the seat of the Earls of Ross. [[James IV of Scotland|James IV]] renewed its royal burgh charter in 1497.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Byrom |first=Bernard |title=Old Dingwall |publisher=Stenlake Publishing Ltd |year=2022 |isbn=978-1-84033-930-7 |location=Catrine |pages=3}}</ref> On the top of [[Knockfarrel]] ({{langx|gd|Cnoc Fhearghalaigh|links=no}}), a hill about {{convert|3|mi|km|0|abbr=off|spell=on}} to the west, stands a large and very complete [[vitrified fort]] with ramparts.<ref>{{cite book|author=G.E. Mitton|title=Black's Guide to Scotland|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-4EQAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA427|year=1925|publisher=Рипол Классик|isbn=978-5-88070-219-0|page=427}}</ref>

An [[obelisk]], {{convert|51|ft|m}} high, was erected over the grave of [[George Mackenzie, 1st Earl of Cromartie]], near the parish church of St Clement after he died in 1717. It was affected by subsidence, becoming known as the "Leaning Tower", and was later replaced by a much smaller replica.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ssns.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/07_Clough_Ross_1986_pp_88-97.pdf|title=The Cromartie Estate, I66o-1784: Aspects of Trade and Organisation|page=89|first=Monica|last=Clough}}</ref> [[Dingwall Town Hall]], which dates back to 1745, still survives.<ref>{{Canmore|desc= Dingwall, High Street, Town Hall |num=12814| access-date=16 November 2021}}</ref> 

The [[Ferry Road drill hall, Dingwall|Ferry Road drill hall]] was completed in 1910.<ref name=canmore>{{cite web|url=https://canmore.org.uk/site/331789/dingwall-ferry-road-drill-hall-war-memorial|title=Dingwall, Ferry Road, Drill Hall, War Memorial|publisher=Canmore|access-date=24 June 2017}} (The 1:2500, 2nd edition, Ordnance Survey Plan no. 88.03 (Ross and Cromarty), published in 1906, does not show the drill hall)</ref> Dingwall formerly served as the county town of [[Ross and Cromarty]]: the headquarters of Ross and Cromarty County Council, established in 1889, was [[County Buildings, Dingwall|County Buildings]] in Dingwall.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.ross-shirejournal.co.uk/news/public-urged-to-attend-dingwall-meeting-165145/  |title=Public urged to attend Dingwall meeting|date=28 October 2014|newspaper=Ross-shire Journal|access-date=19 July 2021}}</ref>

James Gillanders of Highfield Cottage near Dingwall, was the [[Factor (Scotland)|Factor]] for the estate of Major Charles Robertson of [[Abernethy and Kincardine|Kincardine]] and, as his employer was then serving with the [[British Army]] in [[Australia]], Gillanders was the person most responsible for the [[Highland Clearances|mass evictions]] staged at Glencalvie, [[Ross-shire]] in 1845. A Gaelic-language poem denouncing Gillanders for the brutality of the evictions was later submitted anonymously to Pàdraig MacNeacail, the editor of the [[Canadian Gaelic]] column in which the poem was later published in the [[Nova Scotia]] newspaper ''The Casket''. The poem, which is believed either to be or to draw upon eyewitness accounts, is believed to be the only Gaelic language source of information relating to the evictions in Glencalvie.<ref>Edited by Michael Newton (2015), ''Seanchaidh na Coille: Memory-Keeper of the Forest'', [[Cape Breton University]] Press. Pages 59–62.</ref>