Dingwall is a royal burgh in the Scottish Highlands. It formerly functioned as an east-coast port, but now lies inland. The town once boasted a small castle, the birthplace of Macbeth, and on its present-day outskirts lies another - Tulloch Castle, parts of which may date back to the 12th-century building.
Population as of 2001: 5,521 [1]
Dingwall traditionally served as the county town of the county of Ross and Cromarty. It lies near the head of the Cromarty Firth where the valley of the Peffery unites with the alluvial lands at the mouth of the Conon, 14 miles northwest of Inverness.
Its name, derived from the Scandinavian Thingvollr (field or meeting-place of the thing, or local assembly - compare Tynwald, Tingwall, Thingwall in UK alone, plus many others elsewhere) preserves the Viking connections of the town; the Gaels knew it as Inbhir Pheofharain (pronounced, approximately, Innirfyawharrin and meaning "the mouth of the Peffery").
The 18th-century town house, and some remains of the ancient mansion of the once powerful earls of Ross still exist. An obelisk, 51 feet high, was erected over the grave of Sir George Mackenzie, 1st Earl of Cromartie, near the parish church of St Clement. It was affected by subsidence, becoming known as the "Leaning Tower", and was replaced by a much smaller replica in the early years of the 20th century. However even this is now marked by signs saying "Keep Out" on the grounds that it is a dangerous structure.
King Alexander II created Dingwall a royal burgh (pronounced the same as "borough") in 1226, and James IV renewed its charter. On the top of Knockfarrel (Gaelic, cnoc (hill); faire (watch or guard)), a hill about 3 miles to the west, stands a large and very complete vitrified fort with ramparts.
Additional information from the 1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica
External links
Last updated: 08-28-2005 14:22:00
