Nottinghamshire ( abbreviated Notts ) is a county in the East Midlands , which borders South Yorkshire , North Lincolnshire , Lincolnshire , Leicestershire and Derbyshire . Nottinghamshire ( or ; abbreviated Notts ) is an English county in the East Midlands , which borders South Yorkshire to the north west , Lincolnshire to the east , Leicestershire to the south and Derbyshire to the west .