Glaswegians react to Leonardo DiCaprio’s arrival at Cop26

‘I’m still waiting for Al Gore to descend from the heavens like Captain Planet’

Citizens of Glasgow have had their world well and truly turned upside-down this week as the Cop26 climate crisis summit got underway.

The event, billed as a last chance for heads of state to rein in the pace of the global temperature rise by curbing emissions, has seen hundreds of delegates, diplomats and activists descend on Scotland, each fighting to have their voices heard.

From US president Joe Biden’s armoured motorcade rolling through town to protest icon Greta Thunberg swearing in a park, the summit has already given rise to some surreal sights.

But the prospect of Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio hanging out in the city’s pubs is proving too much for the locals.

The actor, known for his roles in Titanic, Inception, The Wolf of Wall Street, and The Revenant, is a passionate environmentalist and was widely expected to make an appearance in the hope of persuading the likes of Boris Johnson, Narendra Modi and Jair Bolsonaro to agree a landmark deal to safeguard the future of the planet.

His arrival at The Engine Works on Lochburn Road in Maryhill, however, caught everyone off guard.

DiCaprio was pictured at the venue, a former steel plant designed by Sir Henry Royce of Rolls Royce fame, on Instagram wearing a Covid mask and posing with the film producer Paul Goodenough, founder of charity organisation Rewriting Extinction.

Leonardo DiCaprio in Glasgow for Cop26 (REUTERS)

The actor is seen holding a copy of a book entitled The Most Important Comic Book on Earth: Stories to Save the World.

Evidently none the worse for wear, he was subsequently spotted at Cop26’s UNFCCC Pavilion on Tuesday morning.

“President of the USA outside Greggs and Leonardo DiCaprio in Maryhill. What is this alternative reality Glasgow is living in at the moment??” tweeted local Angus Lamont, capturing the strangeness of our times.

Daryl MacDonald was similarly aghast, tweeting: “Glasgow is mental right now. I’m still waiting for Al Gore to descend from the heavens like Captain Planet, executing a perfect superhero landing right next to the Donald Dewer statue.”

“All I’m saying is I moved to Maryhill in August and now Leonardo DiCaprio is dining in one of its cafes. Coincidence? I think not,” joked Emma Hendrie.

“The Queen & Leonardo Di Caprio both kickin aboot Maryhill within weeks of each other,” tweeted Dale Sandbank. “Just hope some c*** has spotted them on both occasions & thinks they are absolutely f***in trippin’”.

Several people questioned DiCaprio’s choice of venue, with at least one branding him a “brave man” for tackling that particular part of town and another laughing that he and Ms Thunberg had ended up in “2 a the worst places in Glasgow”.

“Leonardo DiCaprio was up Maryhill last night. We have jumped the COP26 shark,” said reporter Darren Gibson, speaking for many.