CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1 Celtic characters turn back to radio enthusiast ( 5)

4 One knows them to be good at a task ( 5)

9 Top of a flight proposal for plane descent ( 7,8)

10 Local touring around island has a malt whisky ( 4,3)

11 Pedestrian with no time for stewed apricots ( 7)

12 See 8 Down

13 Loch Lomond village dance starts to overflow community hall ( 7)

15 Live to entertain young at heart with leftovers ( 7)

16 Returning to primitive type with dodgy visa, breaking into cashpoint ( 7)

19 Bachelor’s mother finally going off Tim Rice ( 7)

21 Every second, Russia becomes America ( 3)

22 Glasgow professor’s bacon and bridges taken round central highlands ( 7)

23 Obscure track of serious wound ( 4,3)

25 Looking for certainty of Thatcher’s ruin, possibly ( 2,6,2,5)

26 Taste a little bit as great bargain ( 5)

27 See 18 Down

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTION

Across: 7 Heavy questions 9 Strati 10 Grown- ups 11 Assam tea

13 Insult 14 Phil 15 Touch 16 Door 17 Spot on 19 Entryist 21 Gin rummy 23 Harrow 24 Attainment gaps

DOWN

1 Possess ambition – a bad mistake ( 3,4)

2 Strike covering area, independent part of Hispaniola ( 5)

3 Fast bowler Glenn starts to get results in fixed match ( 7)

4 Freshen up decor either way ( 7)

5 New Yorker’s intentions to get sea mammals ( 9)

6 See 8

7 See 8

8/ 6/ 12/ 7 Article on sheep with the bachelor party going along with tragic boycott on lubricant leading to 3Dn’s 18Dn 27Ac ( 3,7,3,4,3,3,5,5,3)

14 Begin to make speech without single drop of alcohol ( 9)

17 Collected maps at jumble sales ( 7)

18/ 27 Mum’s a radical revolutionary in opera ( 7,5)

19 Disaster spread to the north, leading to grumpiness ( 3,4)

20 Plant branch losing brother over America ( 7)

24 Bonus for minor actor ( 5)