Donald Trump to make a final stop in Scotland today before Air Force One departs
Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
DONALD Trump will today make his final stop in Scotland before Air Force One departs.
Last night he flew from Turnberry to the North East and hosted a private dinner with dignitaries including the Prime Minister, First Minister, and high profile businesspeople.
Sign up for the Politics newsletter
Sign up
3
Trump flew from Turnberry to the North East for a private dinner
Credit: PA
3
Mr Trump is understood to be set to meet John Swinney this morning
Credit: EPA
3
Mr Trump hosted an 80-minute televised press conference with Sir Keir
Credit: Reuters
Mr Trump and Sir Keir landed at Menie aboard Marine One, the president's helicopter, which was seen circling the new course before it touched down on Monday evening.
And Mr Trump is understood to be set to meet John Swinney this morning - before flying home at around 4pm.
It will be the first time the President and Mr Swinney have met since they clashed in November last year when the SNP leader called on US voters to back his Democratic rival Kamala Harris in the US Presidential election - leading his UK-based business to slam the endorsement as an 'insult'.
The President will open the 'new course' at Trump International in Menie, just north of Aberdeen, at a 'grand opening' ceremony from 10am.
Trump International's 'new course' is the second at the venue since the newly named 'old course' opened in 2012.
The new 18 holes measures 7,589 yards - with Trump International now self-styled as the 'greatest 36 holes in golf'.
Mr Trump will make a short speech on the first tee of the course before playing a round.
He will speak in front of gathered press and select VIPs before formally opening the new course.
The President's son, Eric Trump, led the design process, with the course including the world's largest natural bunker, 'mountainous dune formations' and so-called 'infinity-style greens'.
The course states: 'The New Course incorporates a variety of natural Scottish landscapes, including some of the country's largest sand dunes, heathlands and wetland areas.
'The New Course is the result of a design process led by Eric Trump, supported by a team of experienced golf architects, engineers, agronomists, and environmental consultants.
'The project builds on the original links masterplan developed by renowned golf architect Dr Martin Hawtree.'
Awkward moment Trump blasts 'nasty' Sadiq Khan for 'terrible job'… before Starmer interrupts: 'He's a friend of mine!'
On Monday, Mr Trump hosted an 80-minute televised press conference with the Prime Minister after meeting with Sir Keir Starmer at his other golf course at Turnberry, Ayrshire.
In it, he blasted wind power - slamming wind turbines as 'ugly monsters' - and urged more drilling in the North Sea.
And he poured cold water on the possibility of a second independence referendum within the next '50 or 75 years'.
Mr Trump also called on the Prime Minister to cut taxes and crack down on illegal immigration to beat the challenge of Reform UK's leader Nigel Farage.
He also spoke of his love for Scotland due to his late mother's birthplace being in the Isle of Lewis and said: 'My mother loved Scotland. This is a part of the world I want to see thrive.'
The second course at Trump International is expected to be dedicated to the president's mother, Mary Anne MacLeod, who was born on the Isle of Lewis.
Critics say the Trump developments in Scotland have not delivered as many jobs as promised and work at the Menie site has caused environmental damage.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Glasgow Times
10 minutes ago
- Glasgow Times
Electric coach operator set to create dozens of new jobs in Paisley
Ember Core has been granted planning permission, subject to conditions, to develop the facility on brownfield land to the southwest of St James Interchange. The Edinburgh-based company, an electric coach operator, will use the site as a base for charging its vehicles and expects it to support approximately 60 new jobs, including driving roles, hub support and operational staff. An operational statement submitted with the application explained: 'Ember, the UK's first 100% electric coach operator, based in Edinburgh, plans to establish a new hub at West March Road, Paisley, to be used as a base for charging its vehicles. 'This hub will allow Ember to establish new long-distance bus services from Glasgow Airport and Glasgow, for example, to Aberdeen, Inverness and Edinburgh.' It continued: 'Once fully operational, Ember anticipates that this site will support approximately 60 new jobs. 'This includes driving roles as well as hub support and operational staff. All roles will pay well above the real living wage. 'The proposed site is a brownfield site close to Junction 29 of the M8. 'The location has been chosen due to its proximity to Glasgow Airport and Paisley, both attractive passenger destinations.' Ember will primarily use the site for parking and charging buses and there will be a total of 18 parking bays, including space for up to 11 buses to charge simultaneously. During the day, an average of two to four buses are likely to be charging at any one time, with all bays only occupied overnight. The company also intends to add staff parking, a welfare unit for driver breaks and a gantry bus wash to make sure its fleet can be cleaned frequently. The nearest residential properties, which are found at St James Avenue, are located in excess of 200 metres to the southeast of the site. A report of handling by the council's chief planning officer said: 'Given the nature and scale of the proposed development, it is considered that it would be compatible with the surrounding area without detriment to amenity.'
BBC News
11 minutes ago
- BBC News
Kemi Badenoch: I don't identify as Nigerian any more
Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has said she no longer identifies as Nigerian and has not renewed her passport since the early who was born in the UK, grew up in both Nigeria and the US. She returned to England aged 16 because of Nigeria's worsening political and economic climate, and to continue her on former MP and television presenter Gyles Brandreth's Rosebud podcast, she said she was "Nigerian through ancestry" though "by identity, I'm not really".Last year, Badenoch faced criticism from Nigeria's vice president who said she had "denigrated" the West African country. Badenoch, who lived in Lagos, spoke at length about her upbringing on the podcast. "I know the country very well, I have a lot of family there, and I'm very interested in what happens there. But home is where my now family is."On not renewing her passport, she said: "I don't identify with it any more, most of my life has been in the UK and I've just never felt the need to.""I'm Nigerian through ancestry, by birth, despite not being born there because of my parents... but by identity I'm not really," she added. Badenoch said when she visited the country when her father died she had to get a visa, which was "a big fandango".She said her early experiences in Nigeria shaped her political outlook, including "why I don't like socialism".As a child "I remember never quite feeling that I belonged there", she went on, saying she recalled "coming back to the UK in 1996 thinking this is home".At the end of last year, Badenoch was criticised for saying she had grown up in fear and insecurity in Nigeria, which was plagued by corruption. The country's vice president Kashim Shettima responded, saying his government was "proud" of Badenoch "in spite of her efforts at denigrating her nation of origin". A spokesperson for Badenoch rebuffed the criticism.
The Herald Scotland
35 minutes ago
- The Herald Scotland
Fed governor Kugler to resign, offering Trump early vacancy to fill
Kugler's resignation gives Trump an opportunity to at least partially shape the Fed's makeup to his liking ahead of her original departure date. Kugler, a Biden-appointed governor, joined the seven-member board in 2023 and was set to serve through January 2026. Kugler didn't offer a reason for her Aug. 8 departure. A statement from the Fed said she would return to Georgetown University as a professor this fall. In a letter to President Donald Trump, Kugler said it has been the "honor of a lifetime" to serve on the Fed's board of governors. "I am especially honored to have served during a critical time in achieving our dual mandate of bringing down prices and keeping a strong and resilient labor market," Kugler said. "The Federal Reserve does important work to help foster a healthy economy and it has been a privilege to work towards that goal on behalf of all Americans for nearly two years." In a July 30 note, Bill Adams, chief economist for Comerica Bank, noted that Trump may use Kugler's opening to appoint his pick for Fed Chair Jerome Powell's replacement. Powell, who was appointed by Trump in 2017, will have his term as Fed chair end in May 2026. The president, who has recently backed away from threats to fire Powell, has made clear that he's unhappy with the Fed's decision to hold off on rate cuts. In June, Trump said he's hunting for a new Fed chair and has narrowed his search to "three or four people." Adams said Trump's next pick for chair could be a current Federal Open Market Committee member or an external hire. "Perhaps the next Chair will have a different approach to monetary policy than Powell, but it's hard to say--recall that Powell himself is a Trump appointee," Adams wrote on July 30, before Kugler announced her resignation. "In any case, the Fed seems likely to cut interest rates between now and when Powell's term ends, which would make the transition feel less fraught."
