U2 France

By IRINA NELSON

The Irish singer, 48, happily posed for snaps with stunned regulars at the Silverfjord Hotel’s bar in Kingussie, Inverness-shire.

And his supermodel pal Helena Christensen also chatted with the gobsmacked punters.

Jet

Last night, shocked hotel owner Gillian Welsh, 39, said: “I couldn’t believe it was Bono — it took a few minutes to drop.

“Then I saw Helena Christensen as well and thought, ‘Oh my God’.

“We couldn’t believe we had such famous people in the bar.

“But they chatted with some of the locals — while Bono enjoyed a couple of pints of Guinness.”

It’s thought the celebrity pair were heading to the £20million Ben Alder estate for Hogmanay.

The stars and their families flew into Inverness Airport on Monday on board a private jet.

They were then whisked down the A9 in a luxury chauffeur-driven Mercedes minibus.

But as they neared the final part of their 65-mile journey, Bono insisted on calling in to the small hotel.

Gillian’s husband David, 35, said: “I am a huge fan of Bono, so it was great to meet him in the flesh. We have a big display cabinet of trophies won by the local shinty team. He’s probably an Irish shinty fan himself!”

The U2 frontman and Danish catwalk queen Helena — who celebrated her 40th birthday on Christmas Day — stayed for an hour and Bono said they planned to remain in the country for New Year.

Gillian’s daughter Sam McKeane, 15, said: “Bono told us he was planning to spend New Year in Scotland because he loves the country and enjoys spending his time here.

“I didn’t ask him anything else because I was so shocked to see one of the biggest bands in the world in a small hotel in the little village of Kingussie.”

The star-struck schoolgirl added: “It was just mad.”

Bono and the rest of his party were then whisked away to their luxurious Hogmanay destination — owned by 59-year-old mega-rich Swiss financier Urs Schwarzenbach.

The multi-millionaire, 59, has splashed out over £20million making it a magnet for the rich and famous.

Stars including Sir Sean Connery, Tim Rice, Prince Charles, Prince Edward and his wife Sophie Rhys-Jones have all stayed there.

The luxury pad has a Disney-style castle and marble-lined hot tubs — and the wallpaper cost a massive £3000 a roll. Schwarzenbach’s latest project is a 200-seat chapel — so his daughter can wed there.

irina.nelson@the-sun.co.uk