Compact crossword - The Scotsman 10/03/15

ACROSS

1 Mischievous fairies (10)

8 A friendly agreement between states (7)

9 US state (5)

10 Willingly (4)

11 Hard up (4)

12 The gist (3)

14 A salad plant (6)

15 Definitive (6)

18 Focal point (3)

20 Garden tool (4)

21 Danes (4)

23 Unyielding (5)

24 Adaptation (7)

25 Removes moisture from (11)

DOWN

1 Rabble-rouser (7)

2 Slag heap (4)

3 The king of the fairies (6)

4 Irish city (8)

5 Resort on the Moray Firth (5)

6 The leading sheep in flocks (4-7)

7 Putting into words (11)

13 Commonplace (8)

16 Consolidates (7)

17 Freeloader (6)

19 Brass instrument (5)

22 A stupid person (coll) (4)

Monday’s solution

Grid J

Across: 7 Simone, 8 Orison, 9 Isla, 10 Bulgaria, 11 Matter, 12 Sicken, 14 Octets, 17 Jerkin, 19 Nuthatch, 21 Lisa, 22 Either, 23 Nannar.

Down: 1 Siesta, 2 ‘Iolanthe’, 3 Member, 4 Oodles, 5 Nina, 6 Eosine, 13 Carolina, 15 Cousin, 16 Saturn, 17 Johann, 18 instar, 20 Ha-ha.