Factfinder’s crossword - The Scotsman 24/11/12

ACROSS

1 Edinburgh-born poet (1750-74), who wrote Auld Reekie (1773) (6,9)

9 The ash tree binding together heaven, earth and hell in Norse mythology (9)

10 Edwin __ , the eponymous character of an unfinished novel by Charles Dickens (5)

11 The ancient Roman two-faced god of gates, doors etc (5)

12 A soft white cheese of strong taste and smell (9)

13 Spirit levels (5)

15 Made more acceptable by removing offensive elements etc (9)

17 A common Eurasian plant of the dock family (9)

19 Coloured twilled cotton fabric (5)

21 Trickles, or small quantities (9)

23 The receptacle of a flower (bot) (5)

24 A massive sandstone rock formation in central Australia (5)

25 Obtain by entreaty or petition (9)

26 A fungal, often fatal, disease of some trees, spread by bark beetles (5,3,7)

DOWN

1 Northern European capital city and seaport (pop about 200,000), founded in 1786 (9)

2 A genus of tropical, especially American, plants with pink flowers and coloured leaves (7)

3 Town in western Norway, once a major copper-mining centre, now a UNESCO World Heritage site (5)

4 A lightweight flintlock musket (5)

5 Archaic term for lights up again (9)

6 Not intimidated or discouraged by danger etc (9)

7 Chiefly sea-dwelling invertebrate animals with porous, fibrous skeletons (7)

8 The lowest possible point (5)

14 A shrubby aromatic North American plant of the daisy family (9)

15 Relating to the stirrup-shaped innermost ossicle of the middle ear (9)

16 Inlay of metal, especially gold, or other materials on steel etc (9)

18 The tube by which the egg escapes from the ovary (zool) (7)

20 A blissful state, the final goal of Buddhism (7)

21 An Eisteddfod official (5)

22 Having a strong, pleasant taste (5)

23 A book of the New Testament (5)

Last week’s solution:

Across: 1 Craigellachie, 10 Landgrave, 11 Raphe, 12 Neonate, 13 Tendron, 14 Ulster, 16 Brassard, 18 Epistatsis, 20 Massif, 23 Bristol, 24 Alberta, 26 Enate, 27 Aristotle, 28 Stephen Foster.

Down: 2 Rondo, 3 Ingrate, 4 Eyalet, 5 Lientery, 6 Carinas, 7 Imperials, 8 Glenluce Abbey, 9 Kennedy-Fraser, 15 Soi-disant, 17 Millrace, 19 Antwerp, 21 Arbutus, 22 Tariff, 25 Retie.