Joe Biden’s gas-guzzling motorcade is spotted filling up near his Edinburgh COP26 base

Joe Biden‘s gas-guzzling motorcade was last night spotted filling up at a petrol station in Edinburgh – where he is staying before taking the enormous convoy back and forth from Glasgow every day trailed by a helicopter.

Local man Gareth Mackie was stunned to spot The Beast and its decoy, plus at least two other huge SUVs which make up the 20-strong presidential motorcade.

‘Zoom in and you can see a White House aide’s jaw drop at UK petrol prices,’ he joked. Petrol recently hit new record high of 142.94p a litre. Diesel – which the Beast is believed to run on at just eight miles per gallon – also topped out at 147.94p a litre.

Today critics pointed out at the irony of Mr Biden attending a climate change conference in Glasgow only to stay 45miles away in the capital. 

Local man Gareth Mackie was stunned to spot The Beast and its decoy, plus at least two other huge SUVs which make up the 20-strong presidential motorcade

‘Zoom in and you can see a White House aide’s jaw drop at UK petrol prices,’ he joked

Flight trackers suggest a police helicopter shadowed his convoy all the way along the M8, adding yet more to Mr Biden’s carbon footprint.

Mr Biden’s Cadillac ‘Beast,’ a 20,000lb armoured limousine, generates an estimated 8.75lb of carbon per mile driven – 10 times more than the average car. Two Beasts – the official vehicle and a decoy – form part of his entourage.

This means every day the two Beasts alone belch out 1575lbs of CO2 going between Glasgow and Edinburgh. The conference is set to last until November 12, bringing the possible total for both cars to just under 20,000lbs.

Calculations suggest he will generate an estimated 2.2million pounds of CO2 over the whole trip, the bulk of which will come from his airborne entourage of at least four last planes.

His fleet is made up of the heavily modified Boeing 747 he travels on, known as Air Force One when the president is on board, an identical decoy, and two huge C-17 Globemaster planes to carry his battalion of cars and helicopters.

Mr Mackie – a former journalist – spotted Mr Biden’s motorcade in Edinburgh yesterday 

Today critics pointed out at the irony of Mr Biden attending a climate change conference in Glasgow only to stay 45miles away in the capital

Joe Biden’s presidential motorcade is pictured driving near Livingston as it makes its way from Edinburgh to Glasgow yesterday 

Today critics pointed out at the irony of Mr Biden attending a climate change conference in Glasgow only to stay 45miles away in the capital. Pic: The motorcade yesterday  

Those jets each belch out an average of 54 pounds of carbon per mile flown. An average American would generate 0.365 pounds of carbon for if they flew a similar distance – just under 10,000 miles – on a regular scheduled flight.

In Italy Mr Biden’s motorcade was an incredible 85-cars long due to Italian COVID-19 rules, which only allow three non-cohabiting people – including the driver – per vehicle.

As well as the Beast, it considered of Chevrolet Suburban SUVs, and famously thirsty Alfa Romeo cars driven by Italian police. It would have generated around 73.5 pounds of carbon per mile driven.

During his time in Scotland Mr Biden is staying at the luxurious Dalmahoy Hotel and Country Club – based in a spectacular 18th-century mansion alongside two 18-hole golf courses.

It has previously hosted the Solheim Cup, one of the most prestigious competitions in women’s golf.

The BP petrol station where he was filling up is just down the road from the Dalmahoy Hotel. 

Mr Biden speaks at the opening of COP26, which is taking place at Glasgow’s SEC centre 

During his time in Scotland Mr Biden is staying at the luxurious Dalmahoy Hotel and Country Club