Dingwall

Dingwall (Inbhir Pheofharan in Gaelic) (Ordnance Survey ) is a royal burgh in the highlands of Scotland. 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.

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Population as of 2001: 5,521 http://www.highland.gov.uk/plintra/iandr/cen/sz/dingwall.htm

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Dingwall has had a railway station on what is now called the Far North Line since circa 1865. It also serves the Kyle of Lochalsh Line, with the junction between the two lines being located within the town.

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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.

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Its name, derived from the Scandinavian Thingv?llr (field or meeting-place of the thing, or local assembly - compare Tynwald, Tingwall, Thingwall in the British Isles alone, plus many others across northern Europe) preserves the Viking connections of the town; the Gaels knew it as Inbhir Pheofharan (pronounced, approximately, Innirfyawharrin and meaning "the mouth of the Peffery").

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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.

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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.

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Gaelic: Gaelic as an adjective means "pertaining to the Gaels", whether to their language or their culture....

Ordnance Survey: Ordnance Survey (OS) is an executive agency of the United Kingdom government. It is the national mapping agency for Great Britain , and one of the world's largest producers of maps. In addition to producing a wide range of maps of Great Britain, the organisation is also working in over sixty countr...

Royal burgh: A Royal Burgh is a type of Scottish town or city (burgh)....