Cryptic crossword - The Scotsman 15/10/13

ACROSS

1 Left in a hurry when affected during action (8)

5 This proverbially makes it home to bridge the gap (6)

10 Egyptian paper features father who manufactured syrup (7)

11 Assume will eat at place (7)

12 Valuable discovery made last night on wander (5)

13 Fused fossil fuel escaped when lacking atomic pressure (9)

14 Playing on class arable lea — a perfect pitch? (2,5,2,1,4)

17 Conservative ultimately is in the can, routed — a has-been (7,7)

21 Fellow takes on papal court outside hotel in Chinese border region (9)

23 Downgrade Anglo-Saxon king (5)

24 Sib Jane distracted with dog (7)

25 Wasted by indulged child, perhaps (7)

26 Decorative finish that bestows a title in the Spanish language (6)

27 Heard to have first encounter at dance — was it something in the supper? (8)

DOWN

1 Assign agent to be placed in river (6)

2 Those taking possession of top of hills (7)

3 Real smile breaking out in French city (9)

4 Headless monster can move without power, taking coach on rail travel from Inverness (4,5,5)

6 What made Newton grapple with gravity’s first two missing links (5)

7 Sports rod that prompts one to dive in? (4,3)

8 Give credit to enveloping storm in area of Skye (8)

9 In my opinion, it sounds a very long way off (2,3,2,1,3,3)

15 Place to be pipped when sending letters? (2,3,4)

16 Cautionary tale about section that can be cultivated (8)

18 Game with tin of Italian food never starts (7)

19 Royal attire used when king, for example, overlooks other things (7)

20 Take offence, we hear, at wedding (6)

22 Thus it came about that chicken went to church (5)

Monday’s solution

Across: 3 Force, 8 Detour, 9 Nailed, 10 Cordon, 11 Pleasant, 12 Tea, 13 Alumni, 14 Gardened, 17 Eyesore, 19 Awesome, 23 Treaties, 27 Images, 29 Pot, 30 Tear into, 31 Easels, 32 Repair, 33 Utopia, 34 Erect.

Down: 1 Recoil, 2 Condemns, 3 Frontier, 4 Rampage, 5 Endear, 6 tissue, 7 seance, 13 Alert, 15 Die, 16 Dress, 18 Out, 20 Write out, 21 Snapshot, 22 Espouse, 24 Reeled, 25 abroad, 26 Ignore, 28 Eclair.