Ewan McGregor visits North Berwick ice cream parlour

HE'S the Scots movie star currently in Edinburgh filming the long-awaited sequel to Trainspotting.

Ewan McGregor dropped in to a North Berwick ice cream parlour for a large scoop of gelato. Picture: contributed

But staff at one North Berwick ice cream parlour were left gobsmacked when Ewan McGregor took a break from his busy shooting schedule – to chomp on one of their award-winning cones.

The 45-year-old icon dropped in on Alanda’s Gelateria on Quality Street at 9.30pm on Thursday night, dressed in a low-key camouflage jacket and natty flat cap.

Speechless fans watched as he queued up and ordered a scoop of Madagascan vanilla ice cream on a Belgian waffle cone, before posing for pictures and chatting with locals.

Valentina Black, one of the family run shop’s directors, admitted staff had been “starstruck” by the Star Wars actor’s unexpected appearance.

The 22-year-old said: “I got a photo of him holding his ice cream cone. All the staff got photos. He was just a really friendly guy. He said the ice cream was delicious and the place was really nice.

“I think he was down seeing friends – but that’s just hearsay. They could potentially be filming around town, you never know.

“Everyone is pretty buzzing. I was just so lost for words I could barely speak. I should have got him to sign a cartoon and then put it on the wall.” Fan Angela Martin, 52, added: “I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw Ewan queuing for a cone. He was really polite and chatty but I think he just wanted to keep his presence under wraps and enjoy his day.”

And local Samantha Bowen said: “I’m such a huge fan of his and this has made my day. I can’t believe I got to say hello to a real Hollywood star. I hope he enjoyed his ice cream and his day out in North Berwick.”

The Hollywood seal of approval comes just weeks after Alanda’s Gelateria picked up a haul of awards at this year’s Royal Highland Show.

The shop’s chocolate ice cream scooped gold, while McGregor’s choice of Madagascan vanilla secured a silver medal. In total, the popular business picked up 12 gongs.

The Trainspotting sequel is due out early next year, and the cast and crew have been spotted filming at a variety of locations around Edinburgh over the last few months.

On Wednesday they recreated one of the most iconic scenes in film history, as McGregor and Ewen Bremner – who plays Spud – were filmed sprinting out of a shop and down Princes Street.

The famous introduction to the 1996 classic sees McGregor and Bremner running down the thoroughfare with stolen loot stashed up their jackets, as the “choose life...” monologue plays in the background.

Trainspotting 2 is based on Irvine Welsh’s follow-up novel Porno, but the exact details of the film’s story are being kept under wraps.

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