Many of the world's best quizzers, including several full-time professionals, are heading for Scotland later this month for one of the biggest international quiz events ever.

Seven of the world's top 20 ranked quizzers are confirmed for the first Celtic Nations Quizzing Championships at the Voodoo Rooms in Edinburgh on April 27 and 28.

There will be international matches involving Scotland, Ireland and Wales. Local pub quizzers will have the chance to play with and against the likes of Barry Simmons, a regular on the Eggheads TV team. Edinburgh-born Mr Simmons is the current Brain of Britain and is ranked number three in the world.

There was controversy when the BBC let him to take part in the radio quiz Brain of Britain, with several listeners complaining he was too good.

The winners of a local pub quiz contest will qualify to take on Mr Simmons, Anne Hegerty and Paul Sinha, resident quiz experts on The Chase, and Edinburgh TV quiz regular Melanie Beaumont in the Matthew Clark Celebrity Quiz Challenge. It is hoped the celebrity line-up might also include a Hearts and Scotland footballing legend.

Local quizzers will also be able to measure themselves against the top quizzers in an individual written quiz and play alongside professionals in a social team quiz.

Mr Simmons said: "Eggheads is recorded in Glasgow, but I have never done a quiz in Edinburgh before. We moved to England when I was two-and-a-half. I am delighted to be returning to the beautiful city."