Cryptic crossword - The Scotsman 08/06/12

ACROSS

1 Spoke to audience not long ago, without introduction, in a sober manner (8)

5 Play with food (6)

10 Acid prepared with uncle in charge (7)

11 The other side of old British poem (7)

12 Hold-up at makeshift shop (5)

13 Loudly stresses pitch to point you in the right direction (9)

14 Hide in castle that’s really cool (4,3,2,5)

17 Theatricals hit the spot when alien speculates (5,3,6)

21 Cuts over length at naval establishments (9)

23 What hopes turn to when credit’s lost in financial disasters (5)

24 Dew and mist seen mingled together in Kansas, perhaps (7)

25 Mount a media introduction that’s wild (7)

26 Systems of belief contained in long piece of writing, from beginning to end (6)

27 Online presentations of production by spider and worm (8)

DOWN

1 Most clear-headed in partisan establishment (6)

2 Cleared out spout (7)

3 Cut into these with sporting lead for somewhere to ski (3,6)

4 Bar-room lawyer on subject of City Council? (5,9)

6 Wanders about in leaderless crowds (5)

7 In winter coat, maybe, will go the distance (7)

8 Meets Len out in wind and rain, for example (8)

9 Medieval MCs at Christmas operate Room 1, full dress (5,2,7)

15 Crass cat I cast as mocking (9)

16 Toss a dime during long-drawn-out plague (8)

18 A group of more than two hundred perish through apathy (7)

19 Digs up former prime minister’s remains (7)

20 Mutterings as day of Caesar’s death approaches (6)

22 Give up interest (5)

Yesterday’s solutions

Across: 8 Pedigree, 9 Herald, 10 Citing, 11 Lothario, 12 Lena, 13 Entertains, 15 Contest, 17 Avocado, 20 Methodical, 22 Fade, 24 Carriage, 26 Trifle, 27 Legend, 28 Elongate.

Down: 1 Decide, 2 Militant, 3 Progressed, 4 Deplete, 5 Chit, 6 Armada, 7 Alliance, 14 Revelation, 16 Overawed, 18 Infringe, 19 Schemes, 21 Harder, 23 Dilute, 25 Aide.