In the past couple of years, Elaine C. Smith has appeared to massive sell-out audiences up and down the country in the likes of the Susan Boyle theatre show.

She's a panto star of course, packing them in all the way up to the gods in Aberdeen - and last month she was in Leeds filming an upcoming TV drama.

Of course, the Lanarkshire-born actress can take her pick of theatre projects.

But curiously perhaps, the biggest career delight she's enjoyed, certainly in recent years, has involved touring Scots coastal towns, playing to small halls.

And selling Tunnocks tea-cakes from the back of her car.

Now, the result can be seen in Burdz Eye View, Elaine's new six-part STV series.

"It's been a chance to perform my one-woman show in magical places from my childhood," she says.

"It's been an opportunity to meet some incredible people, and to show off Scotland to the watching world."

She adds, grinning: "The Scottish Tourist Board should pay me a fortune for this series. Scotland looks amazing."

Elaine's power to make people laugh, to wring out their emotions, is part of her DNA.

But it's also part learned.

For the first time, she opens up to talk about the lady who taught her how to be funny.

"I've always looked to female comics for inspiration," she says.

"I loved Lucille Ball, Debbie Reynolds and Doris Day. But then I realised that in Scotland we had someone who could also inspire and that was Dorothy Paul.

"I watched her way back in the sixties since the One O'Clock Gang time, and realised how she had great comedy timing.

"Then, Dorothy was cast in my first TV play, by Liz Lochhead, Sweet Nothings, set in a bra factory.

"And I realised you could be beautiful, Scottish - and still be funny.

Elaine came to appreciate Dorothy Paul's awesome talent as a storyteller.

"I was in awe of the woman," she admits.

"I loved her finesse, her lightness of touch. And one of the best moments of my entire life was sitting at the back of the crew bus during filming when Dorothy said to me; 'You can come up here and sit with the big wans.'

"I felt as if I were anointed."

Elaine later worked with Dorothy on stage in The Steamie.

"I defy anyone to be able to time a gag better than Dorothy Paul," she says. "And I'm not talking only about women - I'm including our greatest male comics as well.

"I realised comedy can't be learned from drama schools. It's to be learned from the likes of Dorothy, who has the confidence to hold their nerve, wait for the exact moment to deliver the laugh or a look, and get a laugh with a raise of the eyebrows."

Elaine and Dorothy (who will appear on stage next week for the final time, at the King's Theatre) toured with Tony Roper's classic play for more than a year.

"I learned all the time with her," says Elaine who has become an icon herself, thanks to her stage work and TV performances such as Mary Doll in Rab C. Nesbitt.

"It's not that you steal from someone. You make comedy your own."

Elaine appeared for the first time in her own comedy show 26 years ago.

"I realised that comedy didn't reach out to women. I realised that Billy Connolly, as fantastic as he is, stood on stage and told stories about shipyards. But I've never been in a shipyard.

"What I wanted to do was talk about women's lives. It doesn't matter if you talk about women or weans. Funny is funny."

But for Burdz Eye View, Elaine didn't want to go into the giant theatres. She wanted an intimate show, so approached STV with the idea of touring small halls such as Oban and Portpatrick.

The exception to the rule was Motherwell. This was Elaine's homecoming and she played to 1000 people.

"I was overwhelmed, playing in my home town," she recalls, now teary eyed. "But it was joyous. And the tears flowed because the ghosts of my mother and father were there."

Elaine certainly didn't do the tour for money. It was a labour

of love.

In fact, she drove around the country with a car packed full of Tunnocks tea cakes and caramel wafers, selling them to audiences.

"I did an event for Tunnocks and asked them to sell me their products at cost," she says.

"I told them I was fundraising for the Andrea Kearney Breast Cancer fund. Andrea died leaving five kids, all under twelve. It's such a great cause.

"But Boyd Tunnock gave me their products for free. And I thought this was an incredible gesture. What it meant was I raised £10k for Andrea's charity."

The tears well again in her eyes at the thought of the loss of a young mum, and the idea of perhaps saving lives in the future.

The wet eyes reveal this is the Elaine of today, not the creature who once worried continually about career progress.

"Life changes. Priorities change," she says. "And now I'm so proud of my wee tour."

And will there be another? "Thinking about it right now," she says, smiling.

"The Scottish islands. More great fun with more real people. And me having a real laugh."

Burdz Eye View,

STV, Monday, 8pm