Factfinder's Crossword

This week's puzzle...

ACROSS

1 Edinburgh-born artist (1822-91), who became President of the Royal Scottish Academy in 1882 (7,7)

9 The sooty tern (3-4)

10 A low platform (7)

11 One opposed to image-worship (10)

12 Adrag forawheel (4)

14 A Falkland Island penguin (7)

15 Large South American water-boa (8)

17 Relating to an atomic nucleus having the same atomic number and mass as another or others, but a different energy state (8)

19 Historic medieval town incentral Italy, the birthplace of St Francis (1182-1226) (6)

22 Adivision of a leaf (bot) (4)

23 Printedsheets containing proclamations, ballads, etc (10)

25 Underclay (in coal-mining) (7)

26 AspeciesofMonarda or other sweet-smelling plant

(3,4)

27 People fromasouthern peninsula of Greece (14)

DOWN

1 Ornamental Chinese trees, with pendent branches (7-7)

2 Asmall breed of domestic fowl (7)

3 London-born architect (1573-1652), regarded as the father of classical English architecture (5,5)

4 Set course formingaunit in an educational scheme (6)

5 Showing deferential respect (8)

6 A Japanese wooden sandal (4)

7 Long Turkish dagger, usually curved (7)

8 Supreme commandersof large combined forces (14)

13 Units consisting of communitiesof organisms and their environment (10)

16 The text or book of wordsof anopera, oratorio, or ballet (8)

18 John __ (1929-94), London-born actor and playwright who wrote Look Back in Anger (7)

20 US state (36,185 sq miles; pop about 5.5million), also known as the Hoosier state (7)

21 A widely-diffused non-metallic element (6)

24 A type of Portuguese folk song or dance (4)

Last week's solution:

Across: 1 Strathpeffer, 8 Knesset, 9 Kelpies, 11 Piaf, 12 Wassailers, 14 Altaic, 15 Mantilla, 17 Kinghorn, 19 Arabic, 22 Usurpation, 23 Adze, 25 Aureate, 26 Myalgia, 27 Internuncios.

Down: 1 Stewart, 2 Ross, 3 Titian, 4 Pakistan, 5 Fillisters, 6 Epigeal, 7 Skipjack tuna, 10 Saskatchewan, 13 Lithophane, 16 Eritrean, 18 Neutron, 20 Bodegas, 21 Dolmen, 24 Cali.