Cryptic crossword - The Scotsman 14/03/2012

ACROSS

1 Medium or excellent wildlife expert (15)

9 Nothing in existing condition at fertile spot (5)

10 Cleric had arranged welfare service for the young (9)

11 Considerate, but not empty-headed, so to speak (10)

12 No second-class edge to the floor (4)

14 Light sleeper’s reverie? (8)

16 I’m hers, coming from this French city (6)

18 Composer from Harlem (6)

19 Reduce expenditure relating to deep ditch (8)

21 Escape going round lake (4)

22 Where accommodation costs £1,000? (5,5)

25 Cook’s handy heat protector? (4,5)

26 Dislike of old digs I used mainly initially (5)

27 How we read about how government might change (4,4,2,5)

DOWN

1 Easily recognised to have measles in the distance (7,1,4,3)

2 Hope store has included sauce (5)

3 Plot where red oranges can be cultivated (4-6)

4 Alan, Felix, Ray almost and Zachary initially went to prison (8)

5 Unparalleled part of the communique (6)

6 First-class Delaware assistant (4)

7 One body of people going round Northern Ireland suffering exhaustion (9)

8 It is unrestricted upwards as far as I can see (3,4,3,5)

13 Regular in the services (10)

15 You started hoo-ha with Eve rewriting chant (2-5-2)

17 Nigel primarily strangely restive about having to buy shares again (8)

20 Tearful way to withdraw from agreement (3,3)

23 Thin German object (5)

24 Equal to Shakespeare during rough gale (4)

Yesterday’s solution:

Across: Ask for credit, Fingers, Approve, Site, Adult, Apse, Instead, Tendril, Natured, Autopsy, Lion, Parry, Zone, Tornado, Dearest, Earn one’s keep

Down: Fashion Plate, Sonatas, Too true, Flex, Pears, Carr, Resided, Diablo, Real Lot, Abridge, Dips, Knits, Mark, Trooper, Protege, Redeployment