Scotsman possibly leaving note in mess (6)
I believe the answer is:
hamish
'scotsman possibly' is the definition.
(common Scottish name)
'note in mess' is the wordplay.
'note' becomes 'mi' (as in 'do re mi').
'in' indicates putting letters inside.
'mess' becomes 'hash' (I've seen this before).
'mi' inserted inside 'hash' is 'HAMISH'.
'leaving' acts as a link.
(Another definition for hamish that I've seen is " Scottish boy's name".)
I've seen this clue in The Times.
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