DINGWALL, royal burgh, county town and parish, shire of Ross and Cromarty, Scotland. Pop. (1931) It is near the head of Cromarty Firth where the valley of the Peffery unites with the alluvial lands at the mouth of the Conon, 181 m. N.W. of Inverness by the L.M.S.R. Its name, derived from the Scandinavian Thingvollr, "field or meeting-place of the thing," or local assembly, preserves the Norse origin of the town; its Gaelic designation is Inverpefferon, "the mouth of the Peff ery." The 18th-century town house (largely rebuilt in 1905) and some remains of the ancient mansion of the once powerful earls of Ross still exist. A tower has been built on Mitchell hill to the south of the town in memory of Brig. General Sir Hector Mac donald, who was born near Dingwall. The town has an important corn market and auction marts, and a distillery. Some shipping is carried on at the harbour at the mouth of the Peffery, about a mile below the burgh. Branch railways run to Strathpeffer and to Strome Ferry and Kyle of Lochalsh (for Skye) . Alexander II. created Dingwall a royal burgh in 1226, and its charter was renewed by James IV. On the top of Knockfarrel, a hill about 3 m. to the west, is a large and very complete vitrified fort with ramparts.