Donald Trump opens new golf course at Aberdeenshire resort
Trump also made reference to late James Bond actor Sir Sean Connery's reported support for his golf resort – even attempting to recreate the actor's voice.
Just before hitting the first ball at the New Course, the US president told those gathered on a grandstand: 'We started with a beautiful piece of land, but we made it much more beautiful.
'The area has really welcomed us. If you remember at the beginning there wasn't quite a welcome, but it wasn't bad.
'But with time they liked us more and more, now they love us and we love them.'
Trump added: 'I look forward to playing it today.
'We'll play it very quickly and then I go back to DC and we put out fires all over the world.'
At the ribbon-cutting ceremony, the president thanked his son Eric for his role in creating the new 18-hole course, adding: 'This has been an unbelievable development.
'The land, they said it couldn't get zoned, it was an impossibility.
'And Sean Connery said, 'Let the bloody bloke build his golf course'.
'Once he said that everything came into line. (First Minister) John (Swinney) and I were talking about that last night.'
Construction of the new course in Menie began in 2023, with Trump and his son Eric breaking ground on the project.
Trump International Scotland claims the two courses will be the 'greatest 36 holes in golf'.
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.
Members of the media watched the opening ceremony from a grandstand, with music played beforehand including Roxanne, Thriller, and Surfin' USA, plus music by the Script and Elvis.
The president has already played several rounds of golf during his Scottish trip, teeing off at his other resort in Turnberry, South Ayrshire, on Saturday, Sunday and Monday.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Telegraph
9 minutes ago
- Telegraph
A long-term plan is needed to get the country out of its financial hole
SIR – Whether by raising income tax rates, a wealth tax or through less overt measures, the Government will try to extract more money from the people that it serves ('Reeves facing £50bn black hole as tax pressure mounts ', report, August 6). However, such measures risk being self-defeating. Those who are unable or unwilling to leave the country will bear the brunt of the tax rises. That includes standard and higher-rate taxpayers. Every pound the Government extracts from their bank accounts is a pound that cannot be spent on businesses that provide goods and services. Thus, businesses will take another hit which, in turn, will reduce their tax payments. Since the failure of the Truss administration, there has been no long-term plan to get the country out of its financial hole. Eventually, there will have to be one and it will likely involve curbing the insatiable appetite of government to control and spend. When such a plan sees the light of day we may be surprised at the boost it gives to confidence and investment. David Porter Plymouth, Devon SIR – Labour dug itself a financial hole when it pledged not to increase National Insurance (NI), VAT or income tax rates. Instead of imposing VAT on private schools and possibly even on private health, a simple 1 or 2 per cent rise on NI and/or the basic rate of income tax would have solved the Chancellor's problems. Now she is having to cast her net wider – and creating more problems as a result. John Tilsiter Radlett, Hertfordshire SIR – Taxing jobs and taxing capital is not going to result in economic growth. Is it too much to expect a former Bank of England economist to grasp this? Patrick Loxdale Aberystwyth, Ceredigion SIR – There is a limit to which any economy can be taxed. The UK is at that limit. The British public understands this. It is plain that public sector expenditure must be cut to balance the books. Given the Government throws billions around like confetti – on the Chagos Islands, the immigration fiasco, welfare, public sector pay rises, excessive numbers of civil servants – there is much low-hanging fruit. The economy is being badly managed as never before. Enough is enough. Please can we have some economic sanity. Stuart Moore Bramham, West Yorkshire SIR – Having continually criticised the Conservatives for the last 12 months for creating a £22bn black hole in the public finances, I trust Labour will now be constantly criticising itself for doubling the deficit. Paul Webster Dyserth, Denbighshire
Spectator
34 minutes ago
- Spectator
Letters: What Trump has got right
Trumped up charges Sir: I am a huge admirer of Max Hastings, whose contribution to our knowledge and understanding of global conflict is unparalleled. However, his passionate condemnation of Donald Trump is typical of the one-eyed liberal Weltanschauung that will continue to drive people both here and further afield into the arms of populist administrations ('The indignity of Trump', 2 August). Yes, Trump is horribly flawed, personally, politically and economically. However, he was democratically elected by voters who felt ignored and let down by the ruling liberal elite. For balance, we might remember that he is delivering upon his manifesto promises, unlike our government: illegal immigrants are being removed wholesale; the global economy is being rebalanced to fairer levels; stock markets are at or near record highs, the left-wing mainstream media is being reined in; huge government waste is being slashed; virtue-signalling chat-show hosts are being cancelled; and Canada is being targeted largely because it has failed to halt the flow of deadly fentanyl across the border. I have been in the States a lot recently and, far from it having become 'an uglier place', it still seems full of polite, respectful, energetic and optimistic go-getters. If only our limp, directionless government listened and delivered to such a degree, we might regain some of our national pride and positivity. David Edwards Norton-sub-Hamdon, Somerset Business experience Sir: It was interesting to read about Varun Chandra, the most important business adviser to Sir Keir Starmer ('Starmer's business whisperer', 2 August). He clearly has huge charm and a sound networking skill set, but disappointingly it appears he too has never actually run a business. If he had, surely he would have advised the PM before the last Budget that SMEs, the heartbeat of the economy, are particularly susceptible to economic shockwaves. The sudden and unexpected significant increase in business taxes last October in a fragile economy can perhaps be viewed as the Starmer government's biggest mistake so far, underpinning many of the economic woes that we all face. The latest Institute of Directors business survey indicates that business confidence is on the floor and, with the Employment Rights Bill yet to have an impact and with another Budget fast approaching, surely the PM and the Chancellor must ensure they have sound advice from someone who has actually run a business, before policy is announced? Networking ability has its place, but the government and the UK cannot afford any more economic missteps. Andrew Haynes London SW6 Bestselling smut Sir: As an English teacher, I have followed the decline in undergraduate English literature enrolment in recent years with dismay. It is unsurprising, though, when my pupils' idea of literature consists of bestselling smut ('Losing the plot', 2 August). I imagine university modules covering the satirical genius of Eliot or Austen seem unappealing to prospective students who are hooked on grotesquely eroticised Narnia. In the classroom, out of desperation, I am often tempted to endorse the fifth 'right' in Daniel Pennac's creed: 'to read anything'. However, Lara Brown is right to label romantasy as 'literature taken to its lowest form'. I ought to condemn rather than condone recommendations of Cloisters of Carnality or Lust in His Lair. Sam Finniear Guildford, Surrey Christian England Sir: Mary Wakefield's brilliant article last week was sincere and heartwarming, and I hope that Danny Kruger's address in the Commons is seen by Conservatives countrywide ('The prophet Daniel', 2 August). Christianity has defined the spiritual life, identity and culture of England. It retains all that is good, worthwhile and honourable. Alan M. Varley Crowborough, East Sussex God's wonderful railways Sir: The priestly blessing of a signal box described by Matthew Parris ('A glimpse of the essence of Englishness', 2 August) illustrates the long affinity between the Church of England and the nation's railways. This is exemplified in the career of Eric Treacy, Bishop of Wakefield from 1968 to 1976 and for more than 40 years one of Britain's leading photographers of steam locomotives. He is famous particularly for his stirring studies of Sir William Stanier's streamlined Pacifics as they emerged in the 1930s. He died of a heart attack in May 1978 on Appleby station while awaiting the arrival of Evening Star, the last steam engine built for British Railways. A plaque pays tribute to a 'railway photographer, pastor to railwaymen, lover of life and railways'. Christopher Gray Oxford Birder he wrote Sir: Birding and bird-watching are different activities (Real Life, 26 July). Bird-watching is passive and is about enjoying birds wherever they may show up. Birding is active and involves going out to look for them, particularly the less-often-seen ones. The next step on this path is 'twitching', where a tick for one's life-list might involve frantic effort and expense. Bird-watchers might enjoy the sights and sounds of birds in their gardens or local park; birders make specific trips to special sites carrying expensive optics. Far from being a lefty invention, 'birding' is the preferred term of the more dedicated, optically endowed and knowledgeable individuals, to distinguish themselves both from the everyday punters and the demented twitchers. Martin Skinner Tunbridge Wells, Kent Write to us letters@
Scotsman
38 minutes ago
- Scotsman
Oasis: Liam and Noel Gallagher delivered most 'ground-shaking' performance at Edinburgh's Murrayfield Stadium
The run of three Edinburgh concerts by Oasis at Murrayfield Stadium start from Friday. Sign up to our Arts and Culture newsletter, get the latest news and reviews from our specialist arts writers Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Oasis provided the most 'ground-shaking' performance at Edinburgh's Murrayfield Stadium when they last played there in 2009, according to analysis of seismic data. The Gallagher brothers' last Scottish gig has topped the chart for the most powerful seismic concert at the venue in the past 20 years, the British Geological Survey (BGS) said. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Liam Gallagher, of Oasis, at the concert at Knebworth in Hertfordshire in 1996. Picture: Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire | PA The June 2009 Oasis gig beat the Red Hot Chili Peppers in June 2004, Kings of Leon in June 2011 and Taylor Swift in June last year – when measuring the peak earth-shaking power of each event. The measurements were taken from a nearby seismic monitoring station, some 4km from the venue. At peak power of 215.06Kw, the Oasis gig was more than twice as powerful as the next strongest one by the Red Hot Chili Peppers at 106.87Kw. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The rankings were revealed ahead of Oasis's comeback tour arriving in the Scottish capital this weekend, meaning there could be another 'shakermaker'. Oasis are set to return to Wembley Stadium in September for their final Live 25' shows in the capital. | AFP via Getty Images The power output is not related to the volume of the band or the crowd, rather it is the movement of fans jumping and dancing in time to the music, with the height of the jumping and weight of the crowd also potential factors. It means this cohort of Oasis fans' seismic output could perhaps be compared to those of previous years. BGS seismologist Callum Harrison said: 'In 2009, seismic signals generated by Oasis fans were consistent with a crowd energy of 215kW at its peak – enough to power around 30 of the scooters featured on the iconic Be Here Now album cover. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Our network of sensors around the country is sensitive enough to pick up ground movement from a source miles away that may not be detectable to humans – and precise enough to register exact timestamps for when the events occur. 'The peak energy reading was recorded around 8.30pm on that June evening back in 2009, which correlates to the time the band first took the stage and performed Rock 'N' Roll Star, which couldn't be more fitting in terms of topping our seismic music chart.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The BGS keeps an archive of continuous ground motion recordings from seismic sensors around the country, dating back several decades. Mr Harrison said: 'In this instance, we are only looking back over 20 years. However, geological processes occur over vast timescales that can be difficult for humans to comprehend. 'Improving our understanding of historical earthquakes is an important part of BGS research in trying to understand and mitigate the seismic risk around the country.' Ahead of the sold-out gigs at Murrayfield, which start on Friday, Mr Harrison said it was 'certainly possible' they could top the previous gig's output in 2009, adding: 'We'll just have to wait and see.'
