one of the northern counties of Scotland, comprehends what is called the Old Shire, situate between the Frith of Cromarty on the north, and the Moray Frith on the south, containing about eighteen square miles; and also a number of detached tracts scattered throughout the extensive county of Ross, annexed to Cromarty in 1685 and 1698, by which it has been enlarged to 344½ square miles, or Extent. 220,586 English acres: the largest of these lies on the western coast, at a distance of 50 miles from the Old Shire, and the whole belonged to George Viscount Tarbat, afterwards Earl of Cromarty, by whose influence the acts of annexation were procured. The valued rent is L.12,897, 2s. 2d. Valued and Scots, and the real rent in 1811 was, for the lands, Real Rent. L.10,860, 2s. 8d. and for the houses L.480 Sterling; being, with the exception of Orkney and Shetland,

* 12. Anne, St. i. c. 7. For this offence, for the five years ending in 1811, there had been 598 commitments, of whom 120 were tried, 20 convicted, and not one executed. Cromarty the least productive of land revenue of any Scots county. The surface is much varied; the western parts are barren and mountainous, but on the sea coast, on the east, there are some very fertile spots which produce wheat, and all the other crops cultivated in Britain. About an eighth part of the whole is fit for tillage, and the best lands have a northern exposure. The climate is moist, particularly so in the western districts. During three-fourths of the year, the wind blows from between the south-west and north-west; the heaviest rains proceeding from the southward of west. The most severe snow storms are from the north-east. The average annual temperature is about 46° of Fahrenheit.

chief town, has one of the most safe and capacious harbours in the kingdom, well adapted, from its situation, to become the depot of trade in the northern part of Britain, and a place of resort for the royal navy when in the northern and eastern seas. A pier was lately built, to which Government contributed L.7000. The principal manufacture is hempen bagging, valued at L.25,000. There is also an establishment for some branches of the woollen manufacture, and an extensive brewery.

The Old Shire, or Sheriffdom of Cromarty, insignificant as it was, both in extent and value, is of great antiquity. According to Dalrymple, the Urquharts were hereditary Sheriffs of Cromarty in the time of Edward I. The whole county, and the much more extensive county of Ross, through which it is interspersed, are now under the jurisdiction of one sheriff, who has two substitutes that hold their courts on the mainland, and a third in the Island of Lewis, politically attached to this district. The shires of Cromarty and Nairn elect a member of the House of Commons alternately. The town of Cromarty was a royal borough before the Union, but the magistrates being unable to pay their representative, petitioned to be relieved from sending one. The county also must have been distressed by the payment of what was then thought a heavy burden. To induce a gentleman to become its member on one occasion, it was necessary that the principal proprietor should become surety for his payment, and the engagement not having been fulfilled, a considerable estate was conveyed to him for his indemnification. The Gaelic language was introduced here only within these 40 years.

The county of Cromarty is so much blended with that of Ross, and so similar to it in every respect, that it becomes necessary to refer for a more particular account of it to the article Ross-shire. The population will also be stated under that article, there being only one entire parish in this county, and eleven more shared between it and Ross-shire. (A.)