
Donald Trump to open resort's second golf course on final day in Scotland
Mr Trump will cut the ribbon on a second 18-hole course at his resort in Menie, Aberdeenshire before he flies back to the US on Air Force One.
Sir Keir Starmer and Mr Trump flew to Aberdeenshire from Turnberry on Marine One (Jane Barlow/PA)
The president has played several rounds of golf during his Scottish trip, teeing off at his other resort in Turnberry, Ayrshire, on Saturday, Sunday and Monday.
As they met at Turnberry for bilateral talks on trade and the situation in Gaza, Mr Trump and Sir Keir took part in what proved to be a lengthy press conference, with the president discussing a number of topics.
The Republican Party leader spoke of his 'great love' for Scotland and said he wanted to see the nation 'thrive'.
He returned to his long-running objections to wind turbines, branding them 'ugly monsters' and speaking of his admiration for North Sea oil and gas.
Sir Keir Starmer and Donald Trump shake hands at Turnberry (Chris Furlong/PA)
Discussing the war in Ukraine, Mr Trump said he was 'very disappointed' in Russian President Vladimir Putin and suggested he would bring forward a deadline for Russia to agree to a ceasefire.
The US president called Sir Sadiq Khan a 'nasty person', which prompted Sir Keir to come to the defence of his 'friend' the London Mayor.
Construction of the new course in Menie began in 2023, with Mr Trump and his son Eric breaking ground on the project.
Mr Trump hosted a dinner on Monday evening (Jane Barlow/PA)
Trump International Scotland claims the two courses will be the 'greatest 36 holes in golf'.
The second course 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.
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.
People take part in a protest in the village of Balmedie during Donald Trump's visit (Jane Barlow/PA)
The president then hosted a dinner at Menie with members of his family and guests including Scottish First Minister John Swinney.
A demonstration took place in Balmedie, near the resort, on Monday.
A small number of protesters sat at the roadside in the centre of the village, surrounded by cardboard signs bearing anti-Trump slogans.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Daily Record
an hour ago
- Daily Record
Donald Trump declares North Sea oil is a 'treasure chest' for UK in latest attack on renewable energy
The US President said the UK could make a "vast fortune" if companies were given more incentives to drill in the North Sea. Donald Trump has declared the North Sea is a "treasure chest" for the UK as he attacked Westminster's tax regime for oil and gas firms. The US President, a regular critic of renewable energy, said the country could make a "vast fortune" if companies were given more incentives to drill in the area. In a statement shared on social media shortly before he opened a second golf course in Aberdeenshire today, Trump said: "North Sea Oil is a treasure chest for the United Kingdom. The taxes are so high, however, that it makes no sense. "They have essentially told drillers and oil companies that, 'we don't want you'. Incentivise the drillers, fast. A vast fortune to be made for the UK, and far lower energy costs for the people." Trump previously spoke out against wind farms at a press conference on Monday alongside Keir Starmer. The president said: "Wind is the most expensive form of energy and it destroys the beauty of your plains and your fields and your waterways. "Look out there, there's no windmills but if you look in another direction you see windmills, when we go to Aberdeen you'll see some of the ugliest windmills you've ever seen. They're the height of a 50-storey building. And you can take 1,000 times more energy out of a hole in the ground this big, this big, it's called oil and gas." Oil and gas has been extracted from the North Sea for 60 years but production peaked in 1999 and has been declining since. The North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) - which issues licences - estimates there are about two billion barrels of "unlicensed" oil remains. But in 2023 the industry produced 440 million barrels, so these unlicensed sources would only provide another five years of oil and gas. The UK Government is opposed to issuing new exploration licenses but will honour those previously agreed - paving the way for the massive Rosebank field north-west of Shetland to be given the go-ahead. Uplift, which campaigns for a "rapid and fair transition away from oil and gas production", said the President was misguided. Tessa Khan, executive director of Uplift, said: "Donald Trump's knowledge of the North Sea is clearly limited to his view from his golf course. His demand for more drilling is pure fantasy – it will do nothing to provide us with an affordable supply of energy. New drilling won't cut bills and, after 50 years of extraction, the basin is fast running out of gas – that's geology not a political choice. "The reason the UK's energy bills are high is because of our reliance on expensive gas – and the way to reduce them is to shift to homegrown renewable energy, offshore wind in particular, which the UK is lucky to have in abundance. Why on earth would Scotland forego some of the best wind resources on the planet and abandon an industry that is vital to replacing declining oil and gas jobs."


The Herald Scotland
an hour ago
- The Herald Scotland
Scottish law firm says ‘rapid expansion continues apace'
Holmes Mackillop said the recruitment of two solicitors follows the appointment of four trainees. Murray McKelvie joins the firm's Glasgow office while Paula Davies joins the Giffnock office as an associate. Murray McKelvie and Paula Davies. (Image: Holmes Mackillop) Following his qualification as a solicitor in 2023, Mr McKelvie has gained experience advising on the preparation of wills and powers of attorney "together with assisting clients in the difficult process following bereavement". Ross Brown, director, welcomed Mr McKelvie to the private client team and said: 'We are delighted to recruit Murray to our expanding team where he has already made an immediate contribution to the enhancement of our provision of our expert legal advice to clients with a focus on the protection of the interests of individuals and their families through appropriate mechanisms to best protect their assets.' Having qualified as a solicitor in 2022 after completing her traineeship specialising in residential conveyancing, Ms Davies now works in the firm's residential conveyancing team where she "deploys her knowledge of property law, specialising in all aspects of purchasing and selling property, transfers of title, discharging standard securities and re-mortgages". Robert Stewart, director, welcomed Ms Davies to the firm's Giffnock office and said: 'We are very pleased to appoint Paula to our team where she is already helping clients navigate the process of buying and selling homes – the biggest lifetime transactions most people undertake – with the minimum fuss.' Holmes Mackillop has over 240 years of experience in delivering a broad spectrum of legal services to its clients from offices in Glasgow City, Glasgow Southside, Ayrshire, East Dunbartonshire, East and South Renfrewshire. Scottish bus company unveils major deal in 'key market' Scottish bus company FirstGroup has unveiled another 'strategic acquisition' - the latest in a string of purchases.


The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Hillsborough bereaved urge Starmer not to appoint ex-Sun editor to senior role
Some Hillsborough survivors and families of those killed in the disaster have urged Keir Starmer to reconsider appointing a former Sun editor to one of the government's most senior communications jobs. David Dinsmore, who edited the tabloid from 2013 to 2015 and has since become chief operating officer of its parent company, News UK, is due to become permanent secretary for communications. The role was created after the prime minister voiced concerns about the government's communications last year. The Guardian understands senior Labour figures also have concerns over the appointment, which has yet to be confirmed by the government. In a letter to Starmer, Hillsborough families – and others affected by 'scandal and state-endorsed abuse' – claim Dinsmore is 'manifestly unsuitable for public appointment' because of his long association with the Sun, citing its coverage of the disaster, for which the paper has since apologised. 'After the Hillsborough disaster, in the midst of unimaginable suffering among the bereaved and the survivors, the Sun newspaper published vicious lies about the conduct of fans. Graphic and false allegations cast the deceased and those who survived as barbaric, feckless and inhumane,' the letter states. The signatories warn that the Sun 'has not changed', saying it has opted against independent regulation and 'has continued to demonise ordinary people and marginalised communities'. 'For these reasons, we are deeply concerned by the proposed appointment of David Dinsmore to the role of permanent secretary for communications,' the letter states. Charlotte Hennessy, who lost her father, Jimmy Hennessy, at Hillsborough when she was six years old, said: 'Dinsmore suggested the only mistake the Sun made regarding Hillsborough was the headline. Not the lies, not the smears. 'If Keir Starmer really wants to deliver change he needs to get on with delivering the Hillsborough law he promised and backtrack on appointing someone so unsuitable for public office.' The letter also highlights that Dinsmore was convicted of breaching the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act after the tabloid printed a pixelated photograph of the victim of the disgraced footballer Adam Johnson. The judge in the case was satisfied Dinsmore did not know he was committing an offence and ordered that he pay £1,300 costs and offer to pay £1,000 in compensation to the girl for any distress caused. The letter states: 'As a senior executive of News UK, [Dinsmore] has been involved in the company's false denials of the Sun's commissioning of illegal activity throughout the 2000s.' The title has now admitted that 'incidents of unlawful activities' were carried out by private investigators working for it between 1996 and 2011. Steve Rotheram, the Labour mayor of the Liverpool city region, also raised concern about the appointment this week. 'For many people in our city, particularly those who fought for justice for the Hillsborough families, this appointment will be seen as a deeply insensitive choice, given the hurt caused to our communities unjustly targeted by that 'newspaper', Rupert Murdoch and his acolytes,' he wrote. 'I fully support the government's ambition to rebuild trust in politics. But appointments like this could risk undermining that effort. Trust can't be restored by drawing from the same networks that helped erode it.' Dinsmore started his career in journalism as a reporter for the Scottish Sun in 1990, becoming the title's editor in 2006. He has held a number of senior roles at the Sun including managing editor and helped to oversee the launch of its Sunday edition. A Cabinet Office spokesperson said no appointment had yet been made, so they would not comment on Dinsmore. News UK did not wish to comment.