Pop superstar Justin Timberlake is said to have ignored adoring fans when he took to the Highland slopes for a spot of snowboarding.

The singer, who is on a UK tour, apparently blanked pleas from local children for autographs and photographs as he made the most of the good snow conditions at the Nevis Range ski resort, near Fort William.

Instead, the 22-year-old crooner was protected by "heavy-handed" bodyguards who said they hated being in Scotland.

One onlooker said: "It was a shame for the kids who were desperate for a glimpse of Justin. He blatantly ignored them and got his bodyguards to intervene. The children were from a local school."

"They were excited by the fact he was there but were left totally disappointed by his reaction. It wouldn't have taken him long to sign a few autographs."

A Nevis Range spokeswoman said staff at the resort were surprised to see the former N-Sync star.

And far from being stand-offish, she commented on how "friendly" he was.