THE cult movie Trainspotting and the hit BBC Scotland series The Crow Road shared the top honours at last night's glittering Bafta Scotland award ceremony in Glasgow, capturing one quarter of the prizes between them.

Ewan McGregor was named best film actor, beating off strong opposition in the shape of his Trainspotting co-star Robert Carlyle and Billy Connolly, who had been nominated for his performance in Mrs Brown. The controversial drug culture movie also won the award for best feature film, beating Ken Loach's Carla's Song and Mrs Brown.

All things considered, it was a disappointing night for the critically acclaimed Mrs Brown. Nominated in three categories, it picked up only one prize - a much-deserved best film actress award for Dame Judi Dench.

Dame Judi said of her award: ''I think it is a terrific thing to be given an award by your peers and I am extremely glad to have received it. The thing about awards is that you have to be very pleased when you get them and then the next day you have to say 'you have to do it better', and keep getting better and better.

''The talent that we have is quite extraordinary and it is on occasions like this that you see so many young talented people.''

Her co-star in Mrs Brown, Billy Connolly, later expressed his delight at her award. ''I think it is brilliant; richly deserved.''

Connolly's failure to collect the best film actor award, which he was widely expected to win, will do little to help his chances of securing a much hoped for Oscar nomination. Compounding his disappointment, the comedian's travel series, Billy Connolly's World Tour of Australia, also missed out in the best entertainment programme category.

Asked if he was disappointed that he missed out in the awards, he said: ''Actually I am not. I don't really fit into these things. I have never gone into this category before. Ewan McGregor (who won the Best Film Actor prize) is brilliant. I would like to have won it but I have three of them already.''

Mr Connolly said that he would be happy to do more serious drama like Mrs Brown.

There was some consolation for Mrs Brown director John Madden. His television thriller Truth Or Dare, which starred John Hannah and Helen Baxendale, won the award for best single drama, beating Ruffian Hearts and STV's McCallum.

There was disappointment, too, for Robert Carlyle. In addition to his Trainspotting nomination, he was also in contention for the best television actor prize (for Hamish Macbeth). Both he and Crow Road star Joe MacFadden missed out.

In a night of surprises, the award went to Bill Paterson, one of Scotland's great unsung acting heroes, for his performance in Crow Road. Paterson's accolade was one of three which went to the ambitious BBC Scotland project. It also won the awards for best drama serial and for best writer (Bryan Elsley).

Paterson was clearly stunned. He said: ''They say you get shocked by these prizes and certainly this came as a real surprise because I was up against Robert Carlyle and, in particular, Joe McFadden, who carried the Crow Road series. I thought the award would go to him. Maybe they gave it to me as a sign of old age.''

One of the most popular decisions of the night was the award of best television actress to Daniela Nardini for her performance in the cult BBC2 series This Life.

Nardini said: ''The exciting thing about Scottish films and Scottish actors is that they're known as being involved in projects where there is a risk involved and I don't think you can progress without that. Awards don't make a lot of difference to the work you get but it is a nice tribute.''

On a night when Scottish Media Group chairman Gus Macdonald received the prestigious Bafta Lifetime Achievement Award, his stations - Scottish Television and Grampian - secured five top awards between them. The award was presented to Mr Macdonald by Connolly - they were chums in the shipyards many years ago.

Scottish won the prize for best entertainment programme (Kaye Adams's Scottish Men) and best special interest programme (The Home Show), while Grampian took the best documentary section (Please Leave The Light On), best arts programme (Tacsi), and best news programme (North Tonight).

Adams declared: ''I was absolutely gobsmacked. It proves that Scottish men are good for something.''

In The Herald Award for Best Presenter, broadcaster Kirsty Wark beat an all-women list which included Kaye Adams, Sheena Macdonald, and Carol Smillie, to take the prize.

Wark said: ''Winning a Bafta is a great honour but that is doubly so when Herald readers have taken the trouble to phone in and vote.''

During last night's Bafta awards, the Scottish Screen agency announced the establishment of a new bursary award scheme for young directors. The Scottish Screen Bafta Scholarship, which is the brainchild of Mrs Brown producer Douglas Rae, will enable new film-makers to shadow established directors for the duration of a production.

The full list of Scottish Bafta winners is: Best Single TV Drama - Truth Or Dare; Best TV Drama Series - The Crow Road; Best Feature Film - Trainspotting; Best Short Film - Gasman; Best Documentary - Please Leave The Light On; Best Current Affairs Programme - Eorpa; Best Arts Programme - Tacsi; Best Entertainment Programme - Scottish Men; Best Film Actor - Ewan McGregor; Best Television Actor - Bill Paterson; Best Film Actress - Dame Judi Dench; Best Television Actress - Daniela Nardini; The Herald Best Presenter Award - Kirsty Wark; Best Children's Film or Programme - Activ 8; Best Special Interest Programme - The Home Show; Best Writer - Bryan Elsley; Best News Programme - North Tonight; Best Outside Broadcast Coverage - Dunblane; A Community Remembers (BBC); The Craft Award for Outstanding Contribution To Film And Television - Michael Coulter, director of photography; Lifetime Achievement

Award (in the gift of the Bafta Scotland Committee) - Gus Macdonald.