I rec'd the following answer to my inquiry:
Russ,
If you want to pass this on to the List in case it is of interest to others,
that would be fine. I have some new software which means that, until I can
douse some function, any postings I try to the List end up as hyroglyphics.
You ask why some counties use 'shire'. In Scotland there has been a custom
of using 'shire' when the name of the county seat was the same as that of
the county so as to distinguish the two. For example, Argyll was known as
the County of Argyll since the county seat was Dunoon, while Perth (whose
seat was the town of Perth) was known as Perthshire. Inverness was called
Inverness-shire, Aberdeen was Aberdeenshire, and so on. You will sometimes
see Argyllshire used when it needs to be clarified that in the same text it
should not be mistaken for Argyll as in the title of the Campbell Chief. So
if one said "Argyll came home to Inveraray in Argyll" it would be normal to
say "...to Inveraray in Argyllshire."
With Ross and Cromarty, Ross is sometimes called Ross-shire but normally
used only to be Ross and Cromarty.
So my impression is that the word 'shire' was attached - at least in more
recent times - as a means of clarifying which place was meant - town or
county, and also which name was meant, title or county.
All best, Diarmid