Far from the trappings of the high-powered Hollywood media machine, the Star Wars star was happy to share his time with the Ross-shire Journal after the small paper — circulation 3,000 — was given an exclusive interview with Ford as he launched his own whisky on Star Wars Day, May 4.

The newspaper was one of only four media outlets given access to the star - and managed to get him talking at length via a Zoom call to his California home.

The actor, who famously played Han Solo, has launched a limited-edition Glenmorangie Highland Scotch whisky and featured in an advertising campaign for the distillery last year, appearing in a series of videos titled Once Upon a Time in Scotland.

Speaking with Ross-shire Journal reporter Hector MacKenzie, Ford shared stories of his time in the Highlands — including a long chat with a man watering his garden flowers who was surprised to see a globally famous actor on his doorstep.

Harrison Ford donned a kilt for the first time (Image: Glenmorangie/PA Wire)

Ford said: “I remember it in vivid detail. I was on my bike. I was on a ride down to a loch. I’d heard there was a pub there. And I was ready for a pint.

“I couldn’t find the pub and there was a fellow standing out in front of his house watering the plants and I said: ‘Excuse me, sir, I’m told there’s a little pub somewhere around here down near the loch.’

“And we stood there for about 45 minutes chatting. I mean just the easiest, you know, chat. It just went easily from one subject to another and I found that everywhere that I was in Scotland, an openness and a willingness to be engaged with a stranger. And it has characterised the place in my mind.”

He added: “And then, well, I didn’t find that pub, you know, but there was another pub a little higher on the slope and I went up there and had something to eat. And they were lovely people.”

In the interview, Ford speaks poignantly and with genuine warmth of his time in Scotland, saying that he feels as though he still carries a piece of the country with him.

He said of his first encounter with staff at Glenmorangie: “I was impressed by the warmth and the grace of the people that I met.

“They must be happy in their work. They are like working craftspeople anywhere in the world. They’re the ones who get it done and they do it with respect for tradition. They were joyful, friendly, open people.

“I did not have the expectation that I would meet anything like that. But the warmth was palpable. And I think they were excited about the project. And I was too.”

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The actor, who started out as a carpenter before landing his big break in George Lucas’s epic space opera, shared a strong rapport with warehouseman Alan Duff Jr, who was handed a co-starring role in one of the early films.

He said: “Well, Alan is a very special person. My agent went in and he was a good-looking young man, very presentable. And he was taunting me about signing Alan.

“We were teasing Alan about his potential showbusiness career, but he, I think, decided wisely to stick to his day job.”

Speaking about filming in Scotland, which he was visiting for the first time, Ford said the busyness of life “just sort of fell away and I was suddenly present in this place. And I was getting this presence back. And it encouraged me to feel open and comfortable.”

One of the films is shot at Ardross Castle, where he first tries on a kilt. He only became aware of the castle’s now world-renowned role in The Traitors later.

“It was a lovely location and I got to ride my bike around in the castle. In my kilt.

“The hosts were very accommodating. People probably don’t usually, you know, ride bicycles up and down the corridor, but I didn’t bump into anything, so I guess that was all right.

“The castle, the grounds, were fantastic.”

Harrison Ford with Dr Bill Lumsden (left) who helped the actor to create his own signature Scotch whisky (Image: Glenmorangie/PA Wire)

The actor created the blend alongside the distillery’s director of whisky creation, Dr Bill Lumsden, who he met while filming at the distillery.

In the months that followed, Dr Bill sent many more samples across the Atlantic, and the pair fine-tuned its layers of flavour until they settled on the final recipe.

“It was a new experience for me,” said Ford.

“Dr Bill is a very gracious, open, charming man. And it was fun spending time with him.

“I learned a lot and I learned enough to be helpful to him, I hope, in narrowing it down. And what he came up with absolutely delighted me.

“It has a complexity that I admire — not too much of anything, maybe — but some melding of ingredients that is very satisfying.

“I had it in my mouth and it fit. And I swallowed it. And it was nice. Very nice.”