Ross and Cromarty (UK Parliament constituency)

Ross and Cromarty was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the UK Parliament from 1832 to 1983. It elected one Member of Parliament (MP) using the first-past-the-post voting system.

When created in 1832 by the Scottish Reform Act 1832 it combined in one seat the former seats Ross-shire and Cromartyshire.

In 1918 Lewis (a large island several miles offshore) was taken from the seat and merged into the then new Western Isles constituency, and the Fortrose component of the former Inverness Burghs constituency and the Dingwall and Cromarty Parliamentary burghs which formed part of the Wick Burghs constituency were merged into the Ross and Cromarty constituency.

In 1983 the remaining area of the seat was merged with the Isle of Skye and Isle of Raasay areas of the then-Inverness seat to form Ross, Cromarty and Skye.

Local government areas

1890 to 1918

County councils were created in Scotland in 1890, and so the constituency area became also the county council area of Ross and Cromarty, minus the Fortrose, Dingwall and Cromarty parliamentary burghs.

1918 to 1975

When reformed in 1918 the constituency covered the county of Ross and Cromarty (including the former parliamentary burghs) minus Lewis.

1975 to 1983

County councils were abolished in 1975 and replaced with regions and districts and island council areas. The constituency area was then that of the district of Ross and Cromarty plus the Lochalsh area of Skye and Lochalsh. Both districts were within the Highland region.

See also

• Counties of Scotland
• Regions and districts of Scotland

Members of Parliament

Election		Member	Party
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1832	James Alexander Stewart-Mackenzie	Whig
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1837	Thomas Mackenzie	Conservative
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1847	Sir James Matheson	Whig
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1859		Liberal
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1868	Alexander Matheson
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1884	Ronald Munro-Ferguson Later Viscount Novar
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1885	Roderick Macdonald	Crofters' Party
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1892	James Galloway Weir	Liberal
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1911	Ian Macpherson (Later made Baron Strathcarron)
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1931		Liberal National
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1936	Malcolm MacDonald	National Labour
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1945	John MacLeod	Independent Liberal
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1947		National Liberal
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1964	Alasdair Mackenzie	Liberal
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:Party color" |	1970	Hamish Gray	Conservative
1983		constituency abolished

Election results

File:Ross election results.png

Ross and successor constituencies election results

Elections in the 1830s

Template:Election box majority no changeTemplate:Election box registered electors no change

General election 1832: Ross and Cromarty Shire

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
		James Alexander Stewart-Mackenzie		64.8
		Hugh Alexander Johnstone Munro		35.2
Turnout			420	81.4
	win (new seat)

General election 1835: Ross and Cromarty Shire

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		James Alexander Stewart-Mackenzie	Template:Replace	54.6
		Thomas Mackenzie	200	45.4
Majority			41	9.2
Turnout			441	74.2
Registered electors			Template:Replace
	hold		Swing	−10.2

Stewart-Mackenzie resigned after being appointed as Governor Ceylon, causing a by-election.

By-election, 18 April 1837: Ross and Cromarty Shire

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Thomas Mackenzie	Template:Replace	61.0
		William Mackenzie	196	39.0
Majority			111	22.0
Turnout			503	66.7
Registered electors			Template:Replace
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing	+15.6

Template:Election box winning candidate unopposed with party linkTemplate:Election box registered electors no change

General election 1837: Ross and Cromarty Shire

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	gain from

Elections in the 1840s

Template:Election box winning candidate unopposed with party link

General election 1841: Ross and Cromarty Shire

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
Registered electors			Template:Replace
	hold

Template:Election box winning candidate unopposed with party link

General election 1847: Ross and Cromarty Shire

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
Registered electors			Template:Replace
	gain from

Elections in the 1850s

General election 1852: Ross and Cromarty Shire

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		James Matheson	Template:Replace	56.9
		George William Holmes Ross	218	43.1
Majority			70	13.8
Turnout			506	60.8
Registered electors			Template:Replace
	hold		Swing	N/A

Template:Election box winning candidate unopposed with party link

General election 1857: Ross and Cromarty Shire

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
Registered electors			Template:Replace
	hold

Template:Election box winning candidate unopposed with party link

General election 1859: Ross and Cromarty Shire

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
Registered electors			Template:Replace
	hold

Elections in the 1860s

Template:Election box winning candidate unopposed with party link

General election 1865: Ross and Cromarty Shire

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
Registered electors			Template:Replace
	hold

Template:Election box winning candidate unopposed with party link

General election 1868: Ross and Cromarty Shire

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
Registered electors			1,564
	hold

Elections in the 1870s

Template:Election box winning candidate unopposed with party link

General election 1874: Ross and Cromarty Shire

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
Registered electors			1,559
	hold

Elections in the 1880s

Template:Election box winning candidate unopposed with party link

General election 1880: Ross and Cromarty Shire

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
Registered electors			1,664
	hold

Matheson's resignation caused a by-election.

By-election, 22 August 1884: Ross and Cromarty Shire

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Ronald Munro-Ferguson	Template:Replace	55.2
		Alasdair Mackenzie	334	25.7
		Roderick Macdonald	248	19.1
Majority			383	29.5
Turnout			1,299	75.5
Registered electors			1,721
	hold		Swing	N/A

Template:Election box winning candidate for alliance

General election 1885: Ross and Cromarty Shire

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Ronald Munro-Ferguson	2,925	37.2
Majority			2,017	25.6
Turnout			7,867	76.6
Registered electors			10,265
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing	N/A

Template:Election box winning candidate for alliance

General election 1886: Ross and Cromarty Shire

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		John Peter Grant	1,197	21.9
Majority			3,066	56.2
Turnout			5,460	53.2
Registered electors			10,265
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing	N/A

Elections in the 1890s

File:James Galloway Weir.jpg

Weir

Template:Election box winning candidate for alliance

General election 1892: Ross and Cromarty Shire

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Neil Maclean	2,413	43.2
Majority			758	13.6
Turnout			5,584	62.3
Registered electors			8,966
	hold		Swing	−21.3

General election 1895: Ross and Cromarty Shire

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Galloway Weir	Template:Replace	57.6
		Randle Jackson	2,409	42.4
Majority			863	15.2
Turnout			5,681	68.8
Registered electors			8,256
	hold		Swing	+0.8

Elections in the 1900s

General election 1900: Ross and Cromarty Shire

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Galloway Weir	Template:Replace	68.3
		J.D. Fletcher	1,651	31.7
Majority			1,903	36.6
Turnout			5,205	65.8
Registered electors			7,909
	hold		Swing	+10.7

General election 1906: Ross and Cromarty Shire

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Galloway Weir	Template:Replace	68.7
		James Crabb Watt	1,771	31.3
Majority			2,112	37.4
Turnout			5,654	69.8
Registered electors			8,101
	hold		Swing	+0.4

Elections in the 1910s

General election January 1910: Ross and Cromarty Shire

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Galloway Weir	Template:Replace	75.8
		Neil Maclean	1,418	24.2
Majority			3,012	51.6
Turnout			5,848	71.2
Registered electors			8,211
	hold		Swing	+7.1

Template:Election box winning candidate unopposed with party link

General election December 1910: Ross and Cromarty Shire

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	hold

1911 Ross and Cromarty by-election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Ian Macpherson	Template:Replace	74.8
		William Templeton	1,253	25.2
Majority			2,464	49.6
Turnout			4,970	60.2
Registered electors			8,259
	hold		Swing	N/A

General Election 1914–15:

Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1915. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;

• Liberal: Ian Macpherson
• Unionist: MacLeod

Template:Election box winning candidate with party link coalition 1918Template:Election box end 1918

Elections in the 1920s

File:1923 Ian Macpherson.jpg

Ian MacPherson

General election 1918: Ross and Cromarty Shire

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Hector Munro	2,238	21.1
Majority			6,120	57.8
Turnout			10,636	51.2
	hold		Swing	N/A

General election 1922: Ross and Cromarty

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Ian Macpherson	Template:Replace	56.7
		John Macdonald	4,521	43.3
Majority			1,402	13.4
Turnout			10,444	42.4
	hold		Swing	N/A

General election 1923: Ross and Cromarty

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Ian Macpherson	Template:Replace	N/A
	hold		Swing	N/A

General election 1924: Ross and Cromarty

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Ian Macpherson	Template:Replace	N/A
	hold		Swing	N/A

General election 1929: Ross and Cromarty

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Ian Macpherson	Template:Replace	58.8
		Hugh Donald MacIntosh	6,710	41.2
Majority			2,854	17.6
Turnout			16,274	55.6
	hold		Swing	N/A

Elections in the 1930s

General election 1931: Ross and Cromarty

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Ian Macpherson	Template:Replace	N/A
	hold		Swing	N/A

General election 1935: Ross and Cromarty

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Ian Macpherson	Template:Replace	76.7
		John MacKinnon MacDiarmid	3,284	23.3
Majority			7,526	53.4
Turnout			14,094	50.8
	hold		Swing	N/A

1936 Ross and Cromarty by-election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Malcolm MacDonald	Template:Replace	49.5
		Hector McNeil	5,967	33.0
		Randolph Churchill	2,427	13.4
		Russell Thomas	738	4.1
Majority			2,982	16.5
Turnout			18,081	62.4
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing	N/A

Elections in the 1940s

General Election 1939–40

Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1940. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by the Autumn of 1939, the following candidates had been selected;

• National Labour: Malcolm MacDonald
• Labour: Malcolm MacEwen

General election 1945: Ross and Cromarty

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		John MacLeod	Template:Replace	62.8
		Angus Mackay Mackintosh	5,959	37.2
Majority			4,102	25.6
Turnout			16,020	62.4
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing

Elections in the 1950s

General election 1950: Ross and Cromarty

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		John MacLeod	Template:Replace	62.6
		Alastair C Reid	6,521	37.4
Majority			4,391	25.2
Turnout			17,433	63.1
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing

General election 1951: Ross and Cromarty

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		John MacLeod	Template:Replace	64.25
		Alastair C Reid	6,104	35.75
Majority			4,865	28.5
Turnout			17,073	57.5
	hold		Swing

General election 1955: Ross and Cromarty

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		John MacLeod	Template:Replace	62.3
		Jane B Saggar	6,003	37.7
Majority			3,926	24.6
Turnout			15,932	61.9
	hold		Swing

General election 1959: Ross and Cromarty

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		John MacLeod	Template:Replace	47.2
		Jane B Saggar	4,815	29.1
		Colin Murchison	3,918	23.7
Majority			2,998	18.1
Turnout			21,902	75.2
	hold		Swing

Elections in the 1960s

General election 1964: Ross and Cromarty

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Alasdair Mackenzie	Template:Replace	40.2
		John MacLeod	5,516	32.1
		William Alexander Ross	4,767	27.7
Majority			1,407	8.2
Turnout			17,306	69.4
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing

General election 1966: Ross and Cromarty

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Alasdair Mackenzie	Template:Replace	42.1
		William Alexander Ross	5,304	30.4
		Allan John Cameron	4,820	27.6
Majority			2,044	11.7
Turnout			17,472	71.2
	hold		Swing

Elections in the 1970s

General election 1970: Ross and Cromarty

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Hamish Gray	Template:Replace	33.2
		Alasdair Mackenzie	5,617	29.1
		Ronald D. Maclean	5,023	26.0
		George Nicholson	2,268	11.7
Majority			801	4.1
Turnout			19,326	71.7
	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing

General election February 1974: Ross and Cromarty

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Hamish Gray	Template:Replace	36.1
		Willie McRae	5,037	23.0
		John C. Robertson	4,621	21.1
		Ronald D. Maclean	4,336	19.8
Majority			2,871	13.1
Turnout			21,902	75.2
	hold		Swing

General election October 1974: Ross and Cromarty

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Hamish Gray	Template:Replace	38.9
		Willie McRae	7,291	35.7
		Brian Wilson	3,440	16.8
		Tam Glen	1,747	8.6
Majority			663	3.2
Turnout			20,432	69.5
	hold		Swing

General election 1979: Ross and Cromarty

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Hamish Gray	Template:Replace	42.4
		Willie McRae	5,915	23.6
		Keir Bloomer	5,055	20.1
		Hamish Morrison	3,496	13.9
Majority			4,735	18.8
Turnout			25,116	76.4
	hold		Swing