 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 components of the former Northern 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.