Reliable source Blogtor Who tweeted from Edinburgh ahead of this year’s Guardian Edinburgh International Television Festival: “Sherlock Series 3 Ep 1 is set in November and will air on Jan 1, 2014.”

Series 2 began on BBC One on Sunday 1 January 2012.

Written by Mark Gatiss, the opening episode of Series 3 is titled ‘The Empty Hearse’ and guest stars My Mad Fat Diary actress Sharon Rooney.

Update [11.39am]: Sherlock exec Sue Vertue has tweeted: “Not sure where #Sherlock latest rumoured tx date of 01/14 has come from. Not from me as tx date is not yet confirmed.”

> Find out all the details on Series 3 so far in our summary.

Are you looking forward to Series 3? Let us know below…

> Order Series 3 on DVD on Amazon.

> Buy the Series 1-2 boxset on Amazon.

Watch the Series 3 teaser trailer…