David Maddox: Where is John Farquhar Munro?

John Farquhar Munro (pictured) is a quiet man and not one who is often looked for these days.
But his absence is causing great excitement in the chamber at the moment where the SNP's alleged failed record in government is being debated.
Mr Farquhar Munro is a mentor for former UK Lib Dem leader Charles Kennedy and the only MSP for whom Gaelic is a first language, but neither of these things are the cause of the agitation.
According to the Liberal Democrats he asked to be excused on Friday for an "unavoidable" constituency matter, they cannot say what it was.
But hold on a minute, say the Nationalists, is it a coincidence that Friday was the day JFM embarrassed the party when he announced that he would support holding a referendum, just days after Scottish Lib Dem leader Tavish Scott said his party would vote against one?
And today the Lib Dems have put down a clever amendment to the SNP failures debate (sponsored by Labour) which would allow MSPs a chance to have a vote on whether a referendum should go ahead, in the knowledge that the three unionist parties would vote against.
It is after all pretty unusual for an MSP to be allowed to have the day off on a Thursday, the only full day of debate and votes in the week.
Tory MSP Murdo Fraser has suggested that JFM may have been locked in a cupboard by Lib Dem chief whip and former army major Mike Rumbles.
Look out on the Steamie for further updates if we find out where the elusive MSP has got to.