Cromarty Firth

Cromarty Firth
Cromarty Firth Location in Scotland
Location	Scotland, United Kingdom
Coordinates	57°41′N 4°07′W / 57.683°N 4.117°W / 57.683; -4.117Coordinates: 57°41′N 4°07′W / 57.683°N 4.117°W / 57.683; -4.117

The Cromarty Firth /ˈkrɒmərti/ (Scottish Gaelic: Caolas Chrombaidh, pronounced [kʰɯːlˠ̪əs̪ xɾɔumbaj]; literally "kyles [straits] of Cromarty") is an arm of the Moray Firth in Scotland.

The entrance to the Cromarty Firth is guarded by two precipitous headlands; the one on the north 151 metres high and the one on the south 141 metres high — called "The Sutors" from a fancied resemblance to a couple of shoemakers (in Scots, souters) bent over their lasts. From the Sutors the Firth extends inland in a westerly and then south-westerly direction for a distance of 19 miles (30.6 kilometres). Excepting between Nigg Bay and Cromarty Bay where it is about 5 miles (8 kilometres) wide, and Alness Bay where it is 2 miles (3.2 kilometres) wide, it has an average width of 1 mile (1.6 kilometre). The southern shore of the Firth is formed by a peninsula known as the Black Isle. Good views of the Cromarty Firth are to be had from the Sutors or Cnoc Fyrish.

At its head the Firth receives its principal river, the River Conon, other rivers include the Allt Graad, Peffery, Sgitheach, Averon and Balnagown. The Dingwall Canal remains connected to the Firth, although it is now disused. The principal settlements on its shores are Dingwall near the head, Cromarty near the mouth (from which the Firth takes its name), and Invergordon on the north shore. The villages of Evanton, Alness and Culbokie are nearby. There is one bridge, the A9 road crossing between Ardullie and Findon. In the past there were several ferries across the firth (for example at Foulis) but now there is only one, a four-car ferry that runs between Cromarty and Nigg during the summer.