CROM.ARTY, a county in the north of Scotland, consisting of eleven detached portions scattered throughout Ross-shire, with which county it is for most purposes incorpor. ated. One of these portions, that which is situated on the south shore of the Cromarty Firth (from which it takes its name cromachty, or crooked bay), is the original county; and this district still preserves for Cromarty a separate lord-lieutenancy and commission of supply. As a county, it was originally very inconsiderable in extent ; but by the additions which were made to it towards the end of the 17th century it was increased to fifteen times its former size. Of these additions, one is a small district surrounding Tarbat House, on the northern shore of Cromarty Bay; and a second runs from the south side of Tain Firth to the Moray Firth, cutting off that portion of the county of Ross which terminates in Tarbat Ness, the extremity of which also belongs to Cromarty. Two more fragments lie on the south of the River Carron, in the parish of Kincardine; the sixth extends northward from the burgh of Dingwall, situ. ated chiefly in the parish of Fodderty, and occupied in great part by the peak and slopes of Ben Wyvis ; the seventh lies to the north of Loch Fannich in the parish of Contin, at some distance to the north-west of which a triangular morsel is found to the north of Loch Nid ; the ninth is that which stretches along the southern shore of Little Loch Broom ; and the tenth is the district of Ullapool and Coygach, with the adjacent islets, lying between the northern shore of Loch Broom and Sutherlandshire. This district, which is the largest portion of the county, occupies an area of about 20 miles in length by 9 in breadth. The straggling arrangement of Cromarty was produced by the influence of George, Viscount Tarbat, afterwards earl of Cromarty, who, wishing to have all his various lands included in one shire, got them annexed to his own county in 1685 and 1698. The total extent of the county is estimated at 220,800 acres, or 345 square miles, equal to about a tenth of the area of the united county of Ross and Cromarty. The Cromarty Firth forms one of the finest harbours on the east coast of Scotland, securely sheltered at its mouth by two remarkable crags called the " Soutars." See Ross.