Taylor Swift's backing dancer enjoys spot of sightseeing at Edinburgh castle before star's first UK Eras Tour show

One of Taylor Swift's backing dancers has offered his social media fans a sneak peak of the American superstar's presence in the Scottish capital ahead of her first show in the UK tonight.

Athletically-built Jan Ravnik shared a selfie taken close to Edinburgh Castle not long after Swift and her backing crew landed in Scotland, fresh from performing in France.

Earlier this afternoon, rumours Taylor Swift had touched down on UK soil reached fever pitch when a private jet landed at a VIP airport in Edinburgh.

It is believed the American megastar, 34, arrived at lunchtime before being whisked away in a blacked-out vehicle accompanied by a police escort.

Excitement is building ahead of the British leg of Swift's sell-out Eras Tour, which kicks off at Murrayfield Stadium tonight. 

The Cruel Summer singer will be performing tonight, Saturday and Sunday before heading to Liverpool, Cardiff and Wembley.

Dark-haired Ravnik has been keeping Swifties up-to-date with Swift's epic international tour, which kicked off in February and has included gigs in Japan, Australia and Singapore, before heading to Europe.

In recent weeks, Swift has performed in Portugal, Sweden, Spain and France, before heading for Scotland.

At each stop, Ravnik has teased his 566,000 Instagram followers with pictures and footage of his rippling physique while sharing the stage with Swift.

But it appears Edinburgh holds a particularly special place in the backing dancer's heart.

On Instagram today, Ravnik revealed that he came to Edinburgh at the age of 15 for his first international summer dance school.

Posting a flashback photo from then and now, he wrote: 'Let's go Edinburgh. My first international dance school when I was 15 years old.

'And now I'm back performing in this city.'

The talented dancer is originally from Slovenia and moved to the United States to pursue his career. 

Before performing with Swift he has worked as a backup dancer for the likes of Mariah Carey, Bruno Mars, Khalid, Bruno Mars, and Luis Fonsi, Out reports.

He also featured in Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour, which was released in cinemas in October.

Often drawing comparisons to 'Red White & Royal Blue' actor Taylor Zakhar Perez, the Slovenia-born hunk has rapidly become the most renowned among Swift's team.

'Jan is swooned by fans everywhere,' an insider says. 'He has become a star and is certain to be a force in the industry after this tour.'

But he's not just a pretty face – among the dancing troupe, he is said to be known for 'keeping morale up'.

As a competitive dancer and choreographer in Slovenia, Ravnik gained national attention through various competition wins – including bagging the prestigious 'Best Dancer of Slovenia' award twice – before moving to Los Angeles in 2018 to further pursue his career.

There he performed alongside the likes of Bruno Mars, Lewis Capaldi and DJ Khalid – and was even chosen for Mariah Carey's 2020 'Christmas Special' for Apple TV.

The previous year he had travelled to Las Vegas with Paula Abdul for her six-month residency, before Swift finally scouted him to join her troupe in January last year.

Swifties have reportedly packed out hotels in Edinburgh's historic centre having jetted in from the far corners of the globe.

One fan told MailOnline Swift is rumoured to be staying at the luxury five-star Balmoral Hotel and has apparently booked out two entire floors after offering an entire wedding party £10,000 to move, they claimed.

Queues are already forming outside the concert venue, with many fans gathering in Roseburn Park to wait for the entrance gates to open at 3pm this afternoon.

Swiftie mania has hit elsewhere across Scotland, with the singer's name even being mentioned at election events. 

Scotland's First Minister John Swinney has told of his 'bond with the Swifties', before going on to name his favourite song by the US singer.

During a General Election campaign event in Glasgow on Friday, Mr Swinney was asked by a journalist to name his top three Taylor Swift songs, prompting peals of laughter from the audience.

The First Minister replied that he had felt a 'bond with the Swifties' - as Taylor Swift fans are known - since Loch Tay in his Perthshire North Holyrood constituency was temporarily renamed Loch Tay Tay in honour of the star's arrival in Scotland this week.

To further laughter from the gathered audience of SNP activists and journalists, Mr Swinney said his favourite Swift song is her 2019 single You Need To Calm Down - which he erroneously referred to as You've Got To Calm Down.

Mr Swinney said: 'First of all, I really welcome Taylor Swift's journey to Scotland, and the fact her tour is starting off in Scotland. I think that's a massive, exciting opportunity.

'The fact that the most beautiful place on the planet, Loch Tay, has been renamed Loch Tay Tay creates a new bond between me and the Swifties as I represent Loch Tay - or Loch Tay Tay - so that's absolutely fantastic, and I do feel that bond with the Swifties really strongly.

'My very favourite Taylor Swift song is, and you'll appreciate this, is You've Got To Calm Down.'

Meanwhile, a train service to Edinburgh was renamed to celebrate the first UK concerts of Taylor Swift's Eras tour.

LNER said Friday's 10am departure from London King's Cross to the Scottish capital is called The Flying Swiftie.

The singer previously disclosed that she has Scottish ancestry at a gig in 2015, so the stadium sponsorship signage was also changed from Scottish Gas to Scottish Lass to highlight this.

The 34-year-old American singer can trace her roots back to Scottish King William the Lion, who ruled from 1165 to 1214.

Swift told the Daily Record: 'Every time I perform in Scotland it honestly feels like I am coming home.'