ROSS, a county of Scotland, including Tayne and Cromarty, stretching 80 miles in length, and 78 in breadth, is bounded on the west by the western sea, and part of the isle of Sky; by Inverness, on the south; Strathnaver and Sutherland, on the north and northeast; and by Cromarty and the Murray-Frith on the east. Tayne includes the greater part of Ross, with the isles of Sky, Lewis, and Harries. Cromarty lies on the other side of the Murray-Frith, to the northward of Inverness, extending but 12 miles in length, bounded on the south and east by part of Ross and the Frith of Murray, and by the Frith of Cromarty on the north. The shire of Ross takes up the whole breadth of the island; and being much indented with bays and inlets from both seas, appears of a very irregular form.—These bays afford safe harbours for shipping, especially that of Cromarty, which is capacious enough to contain all the fleets of Europe, being land-locked on every side, and is in all respects one of the best harbours in the known world. The Frith of Tayne, on the east side of the shire, runs up 25 miles from the sea, as far as the Cape Tarbat, dividing Ross from Sutherland: it is about seven miles broad at the mouth, but, on account of quick sands, unsafe for navigation. The country of Ross is encumbered with huge mountains, on which the snow lies for the greatest part of the year; these, however, yield good pasture; but on the eastern side, next the German ocean, the country admits of agriculture, and produces good crops of corn. The valleys are fertilized by several rivers, among which we reckon the Okel, the Charron, and the Braan; besides a number of fresh-water lakes, which indeed are found
Ros, found in every part of this country. The valleys, or straths, are generally covered with wood; and near Alfrag there are forests of fir 15 or 20 miles in length, well stocked with deer and game of all sorts. Great numbers of black cattle, horses, sheep, and goats, are fed upon the mountains; and the sea, rivers, and lakes, teem with fish and fowl. The lochs on the western coast abound with herrings in the season, particularly Loch Lu, about nine miles long, and three in breadth; one part of this is formed by a bay, or inlet of the sea; and the other is a lake of fresh water. The sides of it are covered with wood, where formerly abundance of iron was smelted. Though the middle part of Ros, called Ardros, is mountainous and scarce inhabited, the north-east parts on the rivers Okel, Charron, and Frith of Tayne, are fruitful, and abound with villages. Coygach and Aisguit, two northerly districts, are bare and hilly; yet they abound with deer and black cattle; and we see several good houses towards the coast, where there are also promontories, and huge rocks of marble. Ardmeanach, part of the peninsula betwixt the bays of Cromarty and Murray, is a barony, which of old borrowed a title on the king of Scotland's second son. The district of Glen-echig, on the south-west, was the paternal estate of the earl of Seaforth, chief of the clan of Mackenzie; but the last earl of that name, having risen in rebellion, was in the year 1719 defeated at Glen-shiel, in this very quarter, together with a small body of Spaniards by whom he had been joined. His auxiliaries were taken; and though he himself, with some of his friends, escaped to the continent, his estate and honours were forfeited. At the same time, the king's troops, who obtained this victory, dismantled the castle of Yion donnen, situated on an island in a bay that fronts the isle of Sky. It belonged to the crown; but the office of hereditary governor was vested in the earl of Seaforth, and here he had erected his magazine. Ros is chiefly peopled by the Mackenzies and Fraers, two warlike clans, who speak Erse, and live in the Highland fashion. There are fisheries carried on along the coast; but their chief traffic is with sheep and black cattle. The chief towns of Ros are Channerie, Dingwall, Tayne, and Fortrose.