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A distinctly oblique preamble, with several interpretations, doesn't really help. I just started inputting the answers I could get, which wasn't very many at first, and out of the chaos that ensued came the PDM. The clues are tricky and there are 2 or 3 that I still can't work out - especially 7d. I'm happy with the final grid, but not necessarily happy with how I arrived at some of the answers, although I'm sure they are correct!!!

Dear Gitto - I also found this one hard work until I got the meaning of the preamble, and even then the clues were tricky. 7 down relies on you knowing a manufacturer's name.

gitto - 36ac looks to be the only risky entry if there's any guesswork involved (I got stuck on the wrong 'fella' for quite a while, but the wordplay is sound).

I think 7dn pushes the limits of fairness a little too far.

Hi Gitto - re 7d, if you take an old form of 'over' followed by the usual abbr. for line then the remaining 4 letters make up an AA gun (listed in Chambers and Bradford).

Coincidentally still with 'over', I'm also unhappy at 10d which seems to have 'ore' down as a Scottish form of it, whereas I can only find reference to it being old or Shakespearian.

I found this a real slog and grew tired by the end.

Glad I'm not the only one to nearly fall foul with the wrong fella there drxx! Like you say wordplay is sound and only works if you get the correct spelling.

It's an old spelling of ''o'er'' s-pugh, check that entry in Chambers.

s_pugh - I appreciate the company (I spent a long time on that one!).

drxx and s_pugh - many thanks for the hints which made me check and correct what I had put for 36a without fully understanding the clue. The clueing is smarter than this solver.

Thank you for the hint for 7dn wakeling - it was the only one where I hadn't worked out the wordplay.

Finding this very tough.
Hints on 7d and 36a not working for me.

Hint on 1a to start.
1. Visitor has shortly to be of service for one rambler in the Highlands (10)

Thanks.