page_title: Ross, Scotland
section_title: Geography
hierarchical_section_title: Ross, Scotland / Geography
caption_attribution_description: English: Personal photograph taken by Mick Knapton in May 1992
context_page_description: Ross is a region of Scotland, a former earldom and, under the name Ross and Cromarty, a county. The name Ross allegedly derives from a Gaelic word meaning "headland", perhaps a reference to the Black Isle. Another possible origin is the West Norse word for Orkney – Hrossey – meaning horse island; the area once belonged to the Norwegian earldom of Orkney. Ross is a historical comital region, perhaps predating the Mormaerdom of Ross. It is also a region used by the Church, with the Presbytery of Ross being part of the Synod of Ross, Sutherland and Caithness.
context_section_description: Ross lies south of Sutherland and the Dornoch Firth, west of the North Sea and the Moray Firth, north of the Beauly Firth and Inverness-shire and east of The Minch. There are also a number of small islands off the area's west coast, among which are:
  Gillean (lighthouse) in the parish of Lochalsh
  Crowlin Islands in Applecross
  Eilean Horrisdale, and Isle of Ewe in Gairloch parish
  Isle Martin and Tanera More, of the Summer Isles group in the parish of Lochbroom
  The area of the mainland is 1,572,332 acres (636,300 hectares).
  On the North Sea (eastern) side of the county the major firths are the Beauly Firth and the (Inner) Moray Firth, which separate the Black Isle from Inverness-shire; the Cromarty Firth, which bounds the districts of Easter Ross and the Black Isle; the Moray Firth, separating Easter Ross from Nairnshire; and the Dornoch Firth, dividing north-east Ross from Sutherland.
  On the Atlantic (western) coastline—which has a length of nearly 311 miles (501 kilometres)—the principal sea lochs and bays, from south to north, are Loch Duich, Loch Alsh, Loch Carron, Loch Kishorn, Loch Torridon, Loch Shieldaig, Upper Loch Torridon, Gair Loch, Loch Ewe, Gruinard Bay, Loch Broom and Enard Bay.
  The chief capes include Tarbat Ness on the east coast, and Coigach, Greenstone Point, Rubha Reidh, Redpoint and Hamha Point on the west.
  Almost all the southern boundary with Inverness-shire consists of a rampart of peaks, many of them Munros:
  An Riabhachan (3,704 ft or 1,129 m),
  Sgurr na Lapaich (3,773 ft or 1,150 m),
  Carn Eige (Càrn Eighe) (3,881 ft or 1,183 m),
  Mam Sodhail (Mam Soul) (3,871 ft or 1,180 m),
  Beinn Fhada (Ben Attow) (3,386 ft or 1,032 m),
  Sgurr Fhuaran (3,504 ft or 1,068 m),
  The Saddle (3,317 ft or 1,011 m).
  To the north of Glen Torridon are the masses of Liathach (3,455 ft or 1,053 m), Beinn Eighe (3,313 ft or 1,010 m), Beinn Alligin (3,235 ft or 986 m) and Beinn Dearg (2,998 ft or 914 m). On the northeastern shore of Loch Maree rises Slioch (3,219 ft or 981 m), while the Fannich group contains six Munros, the highest being Sgurr Mor (3,645 ft or 1,111 m). The immense isolated bulk of Ben Wyvis (3,428 ft or 1,045 m), forms the most noteworthy feature in the north-east, and An Teallach (3,484 ft or 1,062 m) in the north-west appears equally conspicuous, though less solitary. Only a small fraction of the west and south of the area is under 1,000 ft (300 m) in height. Easter Ross and the peninsula of the Black Isle are comparatively level.
  The longest stream of the mainland portion of Ross and Cromarty is the River Orrin, which rises from the slopes of An Sidhean (2,671 ft or 814 m) and pursues a north-easterly course to its confluence with the River Conon after a run of about 26 mi (42 km), a small part of which forms the boundary with Inverness-shire. At Aultgowrie the stream rushes through a narrow gorge where the drop is considerable enough to make the Falls of Orrin. The River Blackwater flows from mountains in Strathvaich southeast for 18 mi (29 km) until it joins the Conon, forming soon after it leaves Loch Garve the small but picturesque Falls of Rogie. Within a short distance of its exit from Loch Luichart the Conon pours over a series of cascades and rapids and then pursues a winding course of 12 mi (19 km), mainly eastward to the head of the Cromarty Firth. Situated above Glen Elchaig in the southwest of the region are the Falls of Glomach. The stream giving rise to them drains a series of small lochs on the northern flanks of Beinn Fhada (Ben Attow) and, in an almost unbroken sheet over a metre in width, effects a sheer drop of 110 m, and soon afterwards ends its course in Glen Elchaig. The falls are usually visited from Invershiel 11 km to the south-west. 12 miles south-east of Ullapool, on the estate of Braemore, are the Falls of Measach, formed by the Droma, a headstream of the River Broom. The cascades, three in number, are close to Corrieshalloch Gorge. The River Oykel, throughout its course, forms the boundary with Sutherland.
  There are many freshwater lochs, the largest being Loch Maree. In the far no
caption: Slioch seen from the shores of Loch Maree
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