Editing Ross and Cromarty (section)

==Geography==
[[Image:Sgurr fiona.jpg|thumb|300px|Sgurr Fiona and the Corrag Bhuidhe pinnacles on [[An Teallach]] in Wester Ross]]
{{Main|Ross, Scotland|Isle of Lewis}}

The western part of the county of Ross and Cromarty, also known as [[Wester Ross]], is typified by its mountainous Highland scenery, especially the [[Torridon Hills]] which includes such peaks as [[Beinn Eighe]] and [[Liathach]]. The highest point in the county is [[Càrn Eighe]] at {{convert|1183|m|ft|abbr=off}}.

The west coast of the mainland onto [[The Minch]] and [[Inner Sound, Scotland|Inner Sound]] (opposite [[Skye]]), is heavily indented with [[sea lochs]] and peninsulas. From north to south the chief of these are the [[Coigach]] peninsula, [[Loch Broom]], the [[Scoraig]] peninsula, [[Little Loch Broom]], Gruinard Bay, [[Rubha Mòr]] peninsula, [[Loch Ewe]], Rua Reidh/Melvaig peninsula, [[Loch Gairloch]], [[Loch Torridon]], [[Applecross peninsula]], [[Loch Kishorn]], [[Loch Carron]], [[Lochalsh]] peninsula, [[Loch Long]], [[Loch Duich]] and the [[Glenelg, Highland|Glenelg]] peninsula which is shared with Inverness-shire.<ref name=OSsheet3/>

The eastern part ([[Easter Ross]]) is generally flatter, and consists of  towns, villages and farmland bordering the [[Moray Firth]]. In the north [[Dornoch Firth]] separates the county from Sutherland. In the north-east can be found the hammerhead-shaped [[Tarbat]] peninsula; across [[Cromarty Firth]] lies the [[Black Isle]] (actually a peninsula not an island). To the south-east [[Beauly Firth]] forms the border with Inverness-shire.<ref name=OSsheet3/>

The county contains numerous lochs, some of which have been enlarged to use as reservoirs. The larger inland lochs are:{{efn|Being the lochs (excluding sea lochs) shown on modern Ordnance Survey 1:50,000 maps labelled in all capital letters.}}
{{div col|colwidth=15em}}
*Fionn Loch
*[[Loch Cluanie]]
*Loch Damh
*[[Loch Fannich]]
*Loch Glass
*[[Loch Langabhat]] (on Lewis)
*[[Loch Loyne]]
*Loch Luichart
*[[Loch Maree]]
*[[Loch Mullardoch]]
*Orrin Reservoir
{{div col end}}

===Islands===
The county of Ross and Cromarty includes the northern parts of the [[Outer Hebrides]], in particular the [[Isle of Lewis]]. Lewis is not an island on its own but forms part of the larger island of [[Lewis and Harris]], which is the largest island of the Outer Hebrides and the third largest in the British Isles after Britain and Ireland. Harris is in [[Inverness-shire]]. Due to its flatter, more fertile land, Lewis contains three-quarters of the population of the Western Isles, and the largest settlement, [[Stornoway]]. The only other island in the Outer Hebrides that is in the county of Ross and Cromarty and was inhabited at the [[2011 United Kingdom census|2011 census]] was [[Great Bernera]], which is linked to Lewis by a bridge.<ref name=2011census>{{cite web |title=2011 Census: First results on population and household estimates for Scotland - Release 1C (Part two) |url=https://www.scotlandscensus.gov.uk/media/oksbv0u5/rel1c2sb.pdf |website=National Records of Scotland |access-date=2 September 2024 |pages=12–13 |date=2013}}</ref> Ross and Cromarty also included some small and now uninhabited islands, including the remote [[Flannan Isles]] to the west of Lewis. About {{convert|71|km|mi|abbr=off}} north of the [[Butt of Lewis]] lie [[North Rona]] and [[Sula Sgeir]], a remote group of islands which were included within Ross and Cromarty.<ref name=OSsheet2/>

The county also includes numerous smaller islands closer to the west coast of the mainland. Only three were inhabited at 2011, being [[Dry Island]] in [[Loch Gairloch]], the [[Isle of Ewe]] in [[Loch Ewe]], and [[Tanera Mòr]] in [[Loch Broom]].<ref name=2011census/><ref name=OSsheet3/>

The [[Isle of Skye]] and several of its smaller neighbouring islands form part of the Ross and Cromarty lieutenancy area, but they form part of the registration county and historic county of Inverness-shire.<ref name=1975order/><ref name=OSsheet4>{{cite web |title=Quarter-inch Administrative Areas Maps: Scotland, Sheet 4, 1969 |url=https://maps.nls.uk/view/222075461 |website=National Library of Scotland |publisher=Ordnance Survey |access-date=1 September 2024}}</ref>

<gallery mode="packed" class="center">
File:Eileanban.jpg|[[Eilean Bàn]] from the [[Skye Bridge]], looking towards [[Kyle of Lochalsh]]
File:Longashags.jpg|Shag birds on [[Longa Island]]
File:View towards Isle of Ewe - geograph.org.uk - 1167340.jpg|The [[Isle of Ewe]]
File:Cave on Garbh Eilean, Shiant Isles - geograph.org.uk - 85271.jpg|Cave on Garbh Eilean, [[Shiant Islands]]
File:Calanais Standing Stones 20090610 01.jpg|The [[Callanish Stones]] on Lewis
</gallery>