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11a. 'Go by boat around the top of Caithness and disperse in the Western Isles' (5). I've got S-A-L, and and assume the answer is 'SCAIL', but I can't find any such Western Isle, nor any relevant references, Gaelic or otherwise. Can anyone help? Are you still there, Bullfrog?

I've found this:
http://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/scail

Chrise. Thanks so much; there was I being clever and trying the Beginner's Gaelic dictionary, and looking up 'scail' on Google Search to no real avail, whereas Collins (and, I now concede, Chambers) could have shown me the way - but you've pointed me in the right direction! Much appreciated.

You are very welcome.

So glad someone else is still working on this crossword. I too was "all at sea" on 11a - and couldn't find any reference to scail. So thanks,

Sorry. Should have added there that I'm also lost on 17d ... is it really X-M---S for "players in cricket team [can see it will probably be XI] given two different directions [?compass points]- what a puzzler". My ref sources are very short on words beginning with X.!!

XIMENES - classic crossword compiler.

Players in a cricket team are "eleven men" which is XI MEN. The two directions are E(ast) and S(outh). Altogether gives XIMENES.

"Ximenes" was the pseudonym of Derrick Somerset Macnutt (1902 - 1971) who compiled crosswords for The Observer newspaper. The last Ximenes crossword appeared in 1972.

Well, well ....! Thanks Chrise and Brackendale for informaton I'd never have found anywhere but on the forum!