IAIN Robertson is one of the best dramatic actors that Scotland has produced, a young star whom Billy Connolly once described as immense'.

However, the actor who's made his name in dramas such as Sea of Souls and Taggart reveals he's had to survive a few personal dramas in recent times.

In the past year, acting work just dried up. It seems Govan-born Iain's decision to base himself in Glasgow and give up the bright lights of London wasn't the right move.

"When you live in London you are an actor who happens to be Scottish. But when you live in Glasgow you are a Scottish actor," says the 27-year-old.

"And unfortunately casting directors treat you that way.

"I remember when I lived in London I didn't work in a Scots accent for four or five years. Now, since coming back to Glasgow I haven't used another accent other than my own.

"I think you have to be in London to command the London work."

Iain adds: "I've been getting down to the last two in auditions. But I feel I have to move back to London to make it happen.

"It's about reinventing myself in the eyes of the casting people. And you know, I'm fed up paying to go to auditions.

"So the plan is to go back south soon and stay with a pal."

There's been another dark drama playing in the actor's head. Iain was married two years ago, which he didn't talk about at the time.

But the marriage to assistant director Jude ended almost as soon as it begun.

"I feel fine about the split, now," he says.

"I feel it was the right thing to happen. The whole marriage thing probably happened too quickly but at the same time I have no regrets. Sometimes things don't work out as you would expect. Que sera.

"And I would probably do the whole thing again - the same way."

Iain believes that in some ways his enforced break from acting has worked in his favour.

Although he's been working solidly since he was 13, first in the movie Small Faces and then in Grange Hill, and films including the Debt Collector with Connolly, the hiatus has had a positive effect.

"With everything that's happened in my life over the past year and a half, everything I've come through, I've actually been happy to have had time out from acting, to get my head sorted out.

"Emotionally I've been up and down. And acting, as you know, calls for real emotional exposure. But I've not been ready for that."

That's not to say that the actor has been spending his time wallowing in self-pity. Far from it.

He still retains the survivor instinct he showed when he set off aged 12 (and scholarshipped) to stage school down south, a wee boy from Govan taking on London's gobby acting kids.

So when acting work dried up and the marriage broke down he began working for the UK Theatre School.

He's been giving masterclasses in acting to young hopefuls.

"Teaching has been great for me," he says. "It's been safe. I can put something back and it's great fun.

"I'll be doing some more classes at their Loch Lomond school in Dumbarton soon, before heading south. But you know teaching has also helped me to learn.

"I spoke to Bill Paterson the other day and said it's strange how actors act on instinct. But when you're a tutor you have to learn how to put that into words.

"James Cagney once said Acting? You just look the other guy in the eye and tell him the truth.' But it's getting that across to students."

"So I'm still learning. And I think I'll be a better actor for it."

And a better behaved one.

"When you're trying to control 30 kids in a class you realise what a director has to go through trying to get actors on a film set to behave when someone like me is chatting up one of the dancers," he adds, grinning.

Iain has also set up a workshop for professional actors, each bringing in their own expertise.

I want to keep on learning about the craft," he says. "That's why I've been getting other actors together, such as Stephen Duffy (his Small Faces co-star).

"We all learn something from each other."

However, Iain's teaching stint is drawing to a close. Already his plan to move back to London has paid off with a starring role in London theatre in the autumn.

And the role will be challenging. Iain is set to play a gay man from Iowa in the Tennessee Williams play, Small Craft Warning.

It's directed by Scots theatre luminary Bill Bryden and Iain will star alongside acting veteran and Wycliffe star Jack Shepherd.

"I feel it's the right time to return to acting work. And it's fantastic to work with Bill, and with Jack."

He adds, smiling: "But while I'm quite good with accents I'll have to work on my Iowa."

The actor, who aged 11 formed his own theatre company and wrote and performed his own musical, which was staged at Govan's Pearce Institute, doesn't intend to abandon Glasgow, or teaching.

"I'll keep my house in Glasgow, so I can come and go as I please. And I will do more work for the theatre school.

"And I may do some teaching in London.

"My old stage school boss, Sylvia Young, has asked me to go back and do some classes.

"There is also the prospect of doing some voiceover work.

"So life is looking to be quite busy."

What would be nice, he says, would be to come back to Scotland on occasion. He'd love to work for the National Theatre of Scotland but so far there have been no offers - in spite of the fact Iain's CV includes stints at the National Theatre, working alongside the likes of Derek Jacobi.

"I haven't had a sniff," he says, with a wry smile.

"But I'd love to work with them."

Overall, he wouldn't change his job for the world.

"What I say to hopeful students is Be sure you want to do this. Acting is the best job in the world when times are good. But when they are not so good, it's hard'.

"What you have to do is make sure you can cope with the hard times. Because they do appear."