A fun geographically themed puzzle. Find it to solve online or download and print at ft.com/crossword
The usual preamble:
A cryptic puzzle themed on one particular place in the world. Its name should be inserted at 9/1. Work out the place by solving the * asterisked clues. Their solutions have some relevance to the place, such as famous people, locations and culture
A gentle but enjoyable puzzle – well, I found it gentle, but that’s because I was familiar with all the thematic solutions. Quite a high number of anagrams, which could make things tricky if you’re not familiar with some of the Gaelic spellings.
Thanks, Gozo!
Definitions are underlined in the clues. Thematic clues are marked with an asterisk and have no further definition.
| ACROSS | ||
| 8 | BEAU |
Lover from the East End, on the phone (4)
|
| Sounds like (on the phone) “BOW” (from the East End) | ||
| 9/1 | INNER HEBRIDES |
[See Notes] (5,8)
|
| The place to which the solutions to all asterisked clues are linked | ||
| 10 | A LOT |
Nothing odd, sailboats are plenty (1,3)
|
| Even letters (nothing odd) in sAiLbOaTs | ||
| 11 | RELIGHT |
The girl about to fire again (7)
|
| Anagram (about) of THE GIRL | ||
| 13 | ADMIT |
Allow in to confess (5)
|
| Two definitions | ||
| 14 | BROADFORD |
* Crossing second-class thoroughfare first (9)
|
| FORD (crossing) with B-ROAD (second-class thoroughfare) first
A village on the Isle of Skye, the second-largest settlement on the island |
||
| 16 | AS USUAL |
Typical — upset USA twice — then left (2,5)
|
| Anagram (upset) of USA USA + L (left) | ||
| 17 | CRUSADE |
Campaign to rebuild used car (7)
|
| Anagram (rebuild) of USED CAR | ||
| 21 | BLOCKHEAD |
Stop school boss being a fool (9)
|
| BLOCK (stop) + HEAD (school boss) | ||
| 24 | CANNA |
* Tin and sodium (5)
|
| CAN (tin) + NA (sodium)
An island of the Inner Hebrides, the westernmost of the Small Isles archipelago |
||
| 25 | HALLOO |
Henry and John urge on a pack of hounds (6)
|
| HAL (Henry) + LOO (john) | ||
| 26 | LISMORE |
* 49 is enough, but…. (7)
|
| L (50) IS MORE than IL (49)
An island of the Inner Hebrides, site of a 6th century monastery |
||
| 29 | ISLAY |
* Ain’t professional (5)
|
| IS LAY (not professional)
Southernmost island of the Inner Hebrides, known as the Queen of the Hebrides |
||
| 30 | SOAY |
* It’s outside, sorry to say (4)
|
| The outer letters of SOrry to sAY
Small island off the coast of Skye, current population 3 |
||
| DOWN | ||
| 2 | CUILLINS |
* Some may speak of moderate taverns (8)
|
| Sounds like (some may speak of) “COOL INNS” (moderate taverns)
A range of mountains on the Isle of Skye, divided into two main ridges, Black Cuillin and Red Cuillin |
||
| 3 | EIGG |
* Some of the Baggies coming up (4)
|
| Some of the letters of the baGGIEs reversed (coming up)
Another of the Small Isles archipelago in the Inner Hebrides. The Baggies, for any non-football fans, is the nickname of West Bromwich Albion |
||
| 4 | IN STORE |
Tries on pants off the shelf (2-5)
|
| Anagram (pants) of TRIES ON | ||
| 5 | ARMCHAIRS |
Matriarchs having no time repairing comfy seats (9)
|
| Anagram (repairing) of MA[t]RIARCHS less T (time) | ||
| 6/28 | PAPS OF JURA |
* Dad disturbed fops and court panellist, it’s said (4,2,4)
|
| PA (dad) + anagram (disturbed) of FOPS + “JUROR” (court panellist) soundalike (it’s said)
A range of three mountains on Jura |
||
| 7 | DOLLAR |
Money bringing sorrow, we’re told (6)
|
| Sounds like (we’re told) “DOLOUR” (sorrow) | ||
| 15 | LAPHROAIG |
* Gail and Oprah are out (9)
|
| Anagram (are out) of GAIL OPRAH
A famous Scotch whisky from Islay |
||
| 18 | SEA HORSE |
New shoes are for graceful swimmer (3,5)
|
| Anagram (new) of SHOES ARE | ||
| 19/12 | DUNVEGAN CASTLE |
* Version of Vulgate scanned (8,6)
|
| Anagram (version) of VULGATE SCANNED
13th-century castle on the isle of Skye, seat of MacLeod of MacLeod, chief of the Clan MacLeod |
||
| 20 | CAOL ILA |
* Calceolaria tended without care (4,3)
|
| Anagram (tended) of [ca]LC[e]OLA[r]IA less the letters CARE
A whisky distillery on the Isle of Skye |
||
| 22 | LEAGUE |
Association’s underwater measure (6)
|
| Two definitions | ||
| 23 | CALMAC |
* Afternoon, not windy first, then cloudy (6)
|
| A (afternoon) with CALM (not windy) first, then C (cloudy)
The ferry company that operates services between the Hebridean islands and the mainland. If you’re not familiar with it, the abbreviation C for cloudy is used in meteorology and is listed in Chambers |
||
| 27 | SKYE |
* Channel broadcasting cricket to England (4)
|
| SKY (channel broadcasting cricket) + E (England)
Largest and northernmost of the islands of the Inner Hebrides |
I took far too long spotting CALMAC considering all my trips to the INNER HEBRIDES have involved them. Last time I was there I had plans to visit JURA and ISLAY but my offspring didn’t cope. We got as far as ARRAN.
Thank you to Widdersbel and Gozo for a fun puzzle.
One of our favourite regions. Last time we nearly came to grief near
Corryvreckan. Looking forward to August when we will be the area again.
Delightful puzzle . Thanks to Gozo and Widdersbel.
Thanks both.
I am reasonably familiar with the region and it brought back many happy memories.
I was about to protest that the town of Dollar was nowhere near the region, but I then noticed that there was no asterisk.
Thanks Gozo and Widders. Had to reveal the last few. A long way out of my ken except for a few like Skye, Lismore, Islay and that peaty smokey whiskey.
Thanks, Widdersbel, for the steer on C = cloudy, never seen it; nor, for that matter, A = afternoon.
5 of the * clues defeated me, but I was chuffed to get the others. Nicely put together, both puzzle and blog.
20D Caol Ila is, like laphroaig, from Islay, not Skye. A bit s
mokey for me.
I really enjoyed this relatively straightforward puzzle. But it has really made me want to go back to the Inner Hebrides!