Editing Ross and Cromarty (section)

===Since 1975===
Local government was reformed in 1975 under the [[Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973]], which replaced Scotland's counties, [[burgh]]s and [[landward district]]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]], [[Shetland]] and the [[Western Isles]]. The mainland of Ross and Cromarty became part of the [[Highland Region]], whilst the Outer Hebrides parts (the landward district of [[Isle of Lewis|Lewis]] and burgh of [[Stornoway]]) became part of the Western Isles.<ref name=1973act>{{cite legislation UK|type=act|act=Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973|year=1973|chapter=65|accessdate=17 April 2023}}</ref><ref name=OSsheet2>{{cite web |title=Quarter-inch Administrative Areas Maps: Scotland, Sheet 2, 1968 |url=https://maps.nls.uk/view/222075446 |website=National Library of Scotland |publisher=Ordnance Survey |access-date=1 September 2024}}</ref>

The part of Ross and Cromarty which went to the Highland region was split between three lower-tier [[Districts of Scotland|districts]].<ref name=1973act/><ref name=OSsheet3>{{cite web |title=Quarter-inch Administrative Areas Maps: Scotland, Sheet 3, 1968 |url=https://maps.nls.uk/view/222075455 |website=National Library of Scotland |publisher=Ordnance Survey |access-date=14 September 2024}}</ref><ref>{{London Gazette|issue=14590|page=1188|date=11 October 1929|city=e}}</ref>
*Ross and Cromarty district, covering most of the mainland of the pre-1975 county, and the nearby islands that were not transferred to the Western Isles.
*[[Skye and Lochalsh]] district, covering the [[Isle of Skye]] district from [[Inverness-shire]] plus the South West District from Ross and Cromarty (comprising the parishes of [[Glenshiel]], [[Kintail]], and [[Lochalsh]]).
*Sutherland district, covering most of the pre-1975 county of [[Sutherland]], plus the parish of [[Kincardine (Ardgay and District)|Kincardine]] from Ross and Cromarty.

As part of the 1975 reforms, the last lord lieutenant of the county of Ross and Cromarty, Alexander Francis Matheson, became lord lieutenant of the new Ross and Cromarty [[Lieutenancy areas of Scotland|lieutenancy area]], which was defined as the combined area of the new Ross and Cromarty district plus the Skye and Lochalsh district.<ref name=1975order>{{cite legislation UK|type=si|si=The Lord-Lieutenants Order 1975|year=1975|number=428|access-date=1 September 2024}}</ref>

The Ross and Cromarty District Council was based at the former county council's headquarters at County Buildings in Dingwall.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=23941|page=423|date=23 February 1996|city=e}}</ref> Throughout the district's existence from 1975 to 1996, a majority of the seats were held by [[Independent politician|independent]] councillors.<ref>{{cite web |title=Compositions calculator |url=https://www.electionscentre.co.uk/?page_id=3825 |website=The Elections Centre |access-date=14 September 2024}}</ref>

Further local government reforms in 1996 under the [[Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994]] saw the regions and districts created in 1975 abolished and replaced with single-tier [[council area]]s. The former Highland region became one of the new council areas.<ref>{{cite legislation UK|type=act|act=Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994|year=1994|chapter=39|accessdate=17 April 2023}}</ref> The lieutenancy areas continue to be defined as they had been in 1975 despite the abolition of the districts on which they were based.<ref>{{cite legislation UK|type=si|si=The Lord-Lieutenants (Scotland) Order 1996|year=1996|number=731|access-date=1 September 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=The Lord-Lieutenant of Ross and Cromarty |url=https://www.highland.gov.uk/homepage/85/the_lord_lieutenant_of_ross_and_cromarty |website=The Highland Council |access-date=15 September 2024}}</ref> The boundaries of the historic county of Ross and Cromarty (as it was following the 1891 boundary changes) are still used for some limited official purposes connected with land registration, being a [[registration county]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ros.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0017/14921/LandMassCoverageReport2015-proofed.pdf |title=Land Mass Coverage Report |publisher=Registers of Scotland |access-date=2015-05-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303232505/https://www.ros.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0017/14921/LandMassCoverageReport2015-proofed.pdf |archive-date=3 March 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

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.<ref>{{cite web |title=Historical information from 1973 onwards |url=https://view.officeapps.live.com/op/view.aspx?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ordnancesurvey.co.uk%2Fdocuments%2Fboundary-legislation-changes-from-1973.xls&wdOrigin=BROWSELINK |website=Boundary-Line support |publisher=Ordnance Survey |access-date=29 August 2024}}</ref>