THE RIVER Tay’s pod of bottlenose dolphins could have been forgiven for feeling a little nervous yesterday when they caught sight of Mr Bean driving a powered boat in their direction.

But luckily for insurers everywhere, the walking disaster area—whose film Mr Bean’s Holiday topped the UK box office earlier this year—hadn’t chosen Dundee as his latest travel destination.

It was actually Rowan Atkinson, the bumbling Mr Bean’s alias, who was at the helm of the vessel, taking advantage of MVS Tay Unit’s popular dolphin trips.

Joined by TV presenter Clive Anderson, Blackadder’s David Lloyd and their families, the party of 12 left Broughty Ferry harbour on the Marigot at 11am in search of dolphins.

During the two-hour trip the party enjoyed an onboard picnic lunch before Atkinson and Lloyd had a go at steering the vessel.

MVS development officer David Kett said Atkinson, a renowned car fanatic, asked many questions about the boat and its engine, and during his half-hour stint at the wheel safely steered the vessel under the Tay Road Bridge.

“It’s a very busy shipping channel and The Marigot is not the easiest to steer but he was very good at it—I’d certainly offer him a job,” Mr Kett said.

“We had to go a long way out but we were able to see dolphins and seals. They were very impressed by the various sights and were lovely, normal people.”

Mr Kett said the group showed a keen interest in the history of the Tay, Scotland’s longest river, and were particularly interested in the story of the Tay Bridge disaster.

“They were very understated and nice people to meet. The kids were also marvellous, very polite and well behaved.”

MVS Tay Unit runs trips on its vessels Badger and Marigot throughout the summer from Broughty Ferry to enable members of the public to see dolphins.

The income generated by the MVS Tay River Tours goes towards the North Carr Lightship restoration fund and the running and maintenance of the fleet.

The dolphins seen in the River Tay are considered to be members of the Moray Firth bottlenose dolphin population.

A veil of secrecy was thrown around the private visit, with details of why the stars and their families were in Dundee, for how long, and where they are staying, being kept confidential in accordance with their wishes.

“He’s a very private person who keeps his private life to himself,” Atkinson’s agent Rebecca Turner said.

Atkinson married wife Sunetra Sastry in 1990 in a quiet ceremony in the Russian Tea Room in New York with fellow actor Stephen Fry as best man. They live in the Oxfordshire village of Waterperry with their daughter Lily and son Benjamin.

Anderson, a former barrister, was one of the writers of the comedy series Not The Nine O’Clock News, which ran on the BBC from 1979 to 1982 and launched Atkinson’s comedy career. He now lives in Highbury, north London, with his wife, three children and two dogs.

Lloyd worked with Atkinson as a produced on several Blackadder series and specials.