George Clooney is used to hearing the cheers of fans on the red carpet, but on Thursday morning he received a welcome that was possibly even warmer outside a sandwich shop in Edinburgh. Well-wishers were applauding the Hollywood heavyweight's bid to highlight a good cause.
George was paying a visit to the Social Bite cafe to raise awareness for their charitable efforts.
The cafe donates all of its profits to homeless people and at least one in four of its employees used to live on the streets. The shop also runs a "selfless" loyalty card scheme, in which customers can donate their free hot drink or food to the homeless after 10 visits.
© Photo: RexGeorge Clooney visited the Social Bite cafe in Edinburgh, which donates all funds to the homeless
Speaking to reporters as he arrived, George, who was last in Scotland in 2005, said that the social enterprise was "fantastic" and he "loved the idea" of it.
"It's pretty amazing, and I'm looking forward to seeing it," said George, 54. "I haven't seen it up close yet. I like what they're doing, I think it's a very important cause. I think the idea that we can all participate in everyone's difficulties is really important."
The two-time Academy Award winner paid to sample some of the food and chatted to staff, while also indulging them with a funny selfie.
© Photo: Rex"It's pretty amazing, I like what they're doing," said the 54-year-old actor
Founder Josh Littlejohn was on hand to meet George and ahead of the actor's arrival he said that staff were "unbelievably excited".
"He's one of the most famous people on the planet and we are looking forward to introducing him to the Social Bite concept," said Josh.
There are currently five Social Bite shops across Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen.
© Photo: RexGeorge will meet a fan for lunch, wedding planner Heather McGowan, who is keen to know about the star's nuptials
Later in the day George will have lunch at a top-secret location with a fan, Heather McGowan, who won a competition to meet the actor.
The 32-year-old admitted that she was "still in shock" to have been chosen and looked forward to hearing about George's involvement in Social Bite and his own charity Not On Our Watch, which the Ocean's Eleven star co-founded with his friends Matt Damon and Brad Pitt among others.
As a wedding planner, Heather said she was also "really interested" to know how involved George was in planning his own nuptials to his wife-of-one-year Amal.
The actor will then speak at the Scottish Business Awards in front of a sell-out 2,000-strong audience. All proceeds from the event, hosted by comedian Rob Brydon, will go towards a range of charities including Social Bite and Not On Our Watch.
