Defined by its world-famous university and the flat, fertile Fens.
Known for its quiet market towns and the Chiltern Hills. counties ending in shire
| County Name | County Town | Notes | |-------------|-------------|-------| | | Aberdeen | Modern council area also called Aberdeenshire | | Ayrshire | Ayr | Historic; now East, North, South Ayrshire | | Banffshire | Banff | Historic; now part of Moray/Aberdeenshire | | Berwickshire | Duns | Historic; now part of Scottish Borders | | Caithness | Wick | Rarely suffixed, but historically “Caithness-shire” | | Clackmannanshire | Alloa | Smallest historic county; still a council area | | Cromartyshire | Cromarty | Historic; part of Highland | | Dumfriesshire | Dumfries | Historic; part of Dumfries & Galloway | | Fife | Glenrothes | Not suffixed; known as “County of Fife” | | Inverness-shire | Inverness | Historic; part of Highland | | Kincardineshire | Stonehaven | Historic; part of Aberdeenshire | | Kinross-shire | Kinross | Historic; part of Perth & Kinross | | Kirkcudbrightshire | Kirkcudbright | Historic; part of Dumfries & Galloway | | Lanarkshire | Lanark | Historic; now North & South Lanarkshire | | Midlothian | Edinburgh | Historic; now a council area | | Morayshire (Elginshire) | Elgin | Historic; now Moray | | Nairnshire | Nairn | Historic; part of Highland | | Peeblesshire | Peebles | Historic; part of Scottish Borders | | Perthshire | Perth | Historic; part of Perth & Kinross | | Renfrewshire | Renfrew | Modern council area (and historic) | | Ross-shire | Dingwall | Historic; part of Highland (Ross & Cromarty) | | Roxburghshire | Jedburgh | Historic; part of Scottish Borders | | Selkirkshire | Selkirk | Historic; part of Scottish Borders | | Stirlingshire | Stirling | Historic; part of Stirling council area | | Wigtownshire | Wigtown | Historic; part of Dumfries & Galloway | Defined by its world-famous university and the flat,
The birthplace of Robert Burns, Scotland’s national poet. One of the most fascinating aspects of "-shire"
One of the most fascinating aspects of "-shire" counties is where they are not found. Historically, the suffix is prevalent in the Midlands and the North, but conspicuously absent in the South East and the extremities.
In many Australian states, a "Shire" is a type of local government area, such as the Sutherland Shire in Sydney.
| County Name | County Town | Region | Notes | |-------------|-------------|--------|-------| | | Bedford | East of England | Unitary: Bedford, Central Bedfordshire, Luton | | Berkshire | Reading | South East | Ceremonial only; unitary authorities | | Buckinghamshire | Aylesbury | South East | Unitary: Buckinghamshire, Milton Keynes | | Cambridgeshire | Cambridge | East of England | Includes Peterborough (unitary) | | Cheshire | Chester | North West | Unitary: Cheshire East, Cheshire West, Halton, Warrington | | Derbyshire | Derby | East Midlands | Includes Derby (unitary) | | Devonshire (shortened to Devon) | Exeter | South West | Historic name "Devonshire" still in occasional use | | Dorsetshire (shortened to Dorset) | Dorchester | South West | Unitary: Dorset, Bournemouth, Christchurch, Poole | | Durham (County Durham) | Durham | North East | Officially "County Durham" – not always suffixed but historically “Durhamshire” | | Gloucestershire | Gloucester | South West | Includes South Gloucestershire (unitary) | | Hampshire | Winchester | South East | Includes Southampton & Portsmouth (unitary) | | Herefordshire | Hereford | West Midlands | Unitary authority | | Hertfordshire | Hertford | East of England | Two-tier county council | | Huntingdonshire | Huntingdon | East of England | Historic; now a district of Cambridgeshire | | Lancashire | Preston | North West | Includes Blackpool & Blackburn with Darwen (unitary) | | Leicestershire | Leicester | East Midlands | Includes Leicester (unitary) | | Lincolnshire | Lincoln | East Midlands | Includes North Lincolnshire & North East Lincs (unitary) | | Middlesex (historic) | – | London | Now mostly Greater London | | Northamptonshire | Northampton | East Midlands | Unitary: West & North Northamptonshire | | Northumberland | Alnwick | North East | Unitary – rarely “Northumberlandshire” but some historic references | | Nottinghamshire | Nottingham | East Midlands | Includes Nottingham (unitary) | | Oxfordshire | Oxford | South East | Two-tier county council | | Rutland | Oakham | East Midlands | Smallest historic county; not suffixed but in “Rutlandshire” (rare) | | Shropshire | Shrewsbury | West Midlands | Unitary authority | | Somersetshire (shortened to Somerset) | Taunton | South West | Unitary: Somerset, North Somerset, Bath & NE Somerset | | Staffordshire | Stafford | West Midlands | Includes Stoke-on-Trent (unitary) | | Suffolk | Ipswich | East of England | Not suffixed but is a shire county historically (no -shire in modern name) | | Surrey | Kingston upon Thames | South East | Not suffixed but historically a shire | | Sussex | – | South East | Historic; now East & West Sussex (neither suffixed) | | Warwickshire | Warwick | West Midlands | Two-tier county council | | Westmorland | Appleby | North West | Historic; now part of Cumbria | | Wiltshire | Trowbridge | South West | Unitary | | Worcestershire | Worcester | West Midlands | Two-tier county council | | Yorkshire | York | Yorkshire & Humber | Split into North, East, South, West Yorkshire (ceremonial) |