Factfinder’s crossword - The Scotsman 24/08/13

This week’s prize: a Collins English Dictionary Concise Edition, to the first correct entry opened at random. Entries must be received by Thursday. Cut out the crossword panel and send to: Factfinder’s Crossword, Promotions Department, The Scotsman, PO Box 1027, Edinburgh, EH8 8AS.

Across

1 Having a shield or emblem with a coat of arms (12)

9 A mounted bull-fighter with a lance (7)

10 An abdominal segment of an arthropod (7)

11 Pseudonym of an English essayist (1775 - 1834), who wrote Tales from Shakespeare (1807) (4)

12 Henry __ (1905 - 82), US actor who won an Oscar for his role in On Golden Pond (1981) (5)

13 To search, or range over (4)

16 Large town in Uganda (pop about 80,000), a former capital, located on Lake Victoria (7)

17 A Spanish historical ballad (7)

18 Burial mound or barrow (7)

21 A small Welsh rowing-boat (7)

23 Easy dupes, or simpletons (coll) (4)

24 Delicate thin silk network fabric (5)

25 A pith-helmet, worn especially in India (4)

28 City in eastern England (pop 140,000), with a large cathedral completed in 1145 (7)

29 A loose overcoat (7)

30 American jazz musician (1909-86), known as the “King of Swing” (5,7)

Down

2 Person in a cathedral who copied out the music for the choir (hist) (7)

3 The official literary language of Pakistan (4)

4 A small open carriage, or light cart (7)

5 South American country (109,484 sq miles; pop about 16 million), fully independent since 1830 (7)

6 An inert gaseous element of the noble gas group (4)

7 Smooth, close-woven, woollen cloth (3-4)

8 Edinburgh goldsmith (1563 - 1624), who left £23,625 to establish a school (6,6)

9 A foreboding, especially of evil (12)

14 Virus causing a deadly disease in Africa (5)

15 Card game, usually for three players (5)

19 Large area of north-west Africa, including the Atlas Mountains (7)

20 Robert __ (1774 - 1843), one of the “Lake Poets”, appointed Poet Laureate in 1813 (7)

21 Nymph in Greek mythology who kept Odysseus hostage for seven years (7)

22 Southern European country (21,838 sq miles; pop about 4.5 million), independent since 1991 (7)

26 Citizen of northern European country (130,608 sq miles; pop about 5.5 million), which joined the EU in 1995 (4)

27 Alpine tourist resort (pop about 5,000), in north-west Slovenia (4)

Last week’s solution:

Across: 8 Paraguay, 9 Marmot, 10 Stuart, 11 Runagate, 12 Knot, 13 Los Angeles, 15 Estrade, 17 Moselle, 20 Kenspeckle, 22 Ajax, 24 Crumping, 26 Iodine, 27 Warsaw, 28 Exanthem.

Down: 1 Partan, 2 Canaster, 3 Mustelidae, 4 Cypress, 5 Oman, 6 Drogue, 7 Montreal, 14 Neoterical, 16 Shearman, 18 Ecaudate, 19 Skegger, 21 Samosa, 23 Arnhem, 25 Iowa.

Winner: Stuart Walker, Carriden Brae Bo’ness