Actor was due to attend UK premiere of Dominique Strauss-Kahn drama Welcome to New York, but pulled out at the last minute

When Gérard Depardieu failed to materialise for the UK premiere of Welcome to New York at the Edinburgh festival on 28 June, no one was especially surprised. After all, the man has a busy schedule shuttling between Belgium and Russia, the two countries that have given him sanctuary outside his native France, which include endorsing a line of patriotic, pro-Russian watches.

Now it turns out Depardieu had made it to Scotland, but became otherwise detained after an enthusiastic visit to the Hotel Eilean Iarmain bar at Isleornsay on the Sleat peninsula on Skye. Photographs emerged on Twitter of Depardieu sinking pints of beer and tucking into haggis on 27 June, the day before the film screening.

Siobhan Synnot (@SiobhanSynnot) Great chieftain of the Pudding Race...meeting a Skye haggis #nodepartureforDepardieu pic.twitter.com/GoFrE0cwtG

Depardieu's companions in the pub were confirmed on Monday as Rody Gorman, a Gaelic poet, as well as Depardieu's personal chef.

Siobhan Synnot (@SiobhanSynnot) @gibbzer @bettybluetoyou @edfilmfest I'd like to think we'd all been there in more flattering tops pic.twitter.com/VnnFPnrjQl

Speaking to the Scotsman, a representative of the Edinburgh festival said: “He has let the festival down very badly ... We won’t be pursuing this any further because the screening has already taken place – but there is some annoyance here.”

• Gérard Depardieu accused of urinating on a plane

