JD Vance spotted playing golf at Trump Turnberry during family holiday in Scotland
US Vice President JD Vance has been spotted enjoying a round of golf at Donald Trump's Turnberry golf course.
Vance touched down in Scotland after arriving at Prestwick Airport on Tuesday night in an official US plane. He is on a private family holiday, and is understood to be staying in a plush country estate in the outskirts of Kilmarnock in Ayrshire.
On Thursday afternoon, he was pictured participating in a round of golf on the King Robert The Bruce course in Turnberry, near Girvan in South Ayrshire.
His arrival comes weeks after his boss, US President Donald Trump, spent five days in Scotland during a visit where he met the First Minister John Swinney and Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Vance had been holidaying in the Cotswolds but travelled to the Foreign Secretary's Chevening House retreat in Kent on Friday, and he joined David Lammy carp fishing without the correct license at the countryside estate.
Earlier on Wednesday, JD Vance described the UK and US' relationship as 'a beautiful alliance', during a speech at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire.
A significant policing operation is in place during his visit to Scotland. Pictures showed armed officers on the air traffic control tower on his arrival to Prestwick Airport.
Campaign group Mothers Against Genocide held a protest against the Vice President's visit outside the Carnell Estate on Wednesday afternoon.
Activists were encouraged to bring "pots, pans and Palestine flags" to make noise for the people of Gaza.
Images from outside the estate showed pro-Palestine protestors, who accused Vance of supporting a 'genocide' by Israel in Gaza, being penned in by officers while they awaited Vance's arrival.
Ahead of his visit, Green MSP Gillian Mackay accused him of lying about Scotland.
She told the Record: "JD Vance has made a career of spreading misinformation and sowing mistrust in order to gain power and influence.
"The Vice President's absurd lies haven't just been about eating cats and dogs in Ohio - he has lied about Scotland."
In February, Mr Vance was slammed for using a major speech in Munich to wrongly suggest Scots could face prosecution for praying in their own homes while he attacked what he viewed as an erosion of free speech across Europe.
He pointed to the introduction of buffer zones around Scottish abortion clinics as an example of the kind of crackdown he feared.
The law prevents any public protests or vigils from taking place within 200m (656ft) of 30 clinics around the country, but it does not prohibit anyone from praying within their own homes.
Mackay continued: 'Earlier this year, JD Vance made false claims on an international stage about Scotland's buffer zones law, which prevents harassment and intimidation of patients outside abortion clinics, a bill proudly passed by the Scottish Greens."
Police Scotland spokesperson previously said: 'Planning is under way for a potential visit to Scotland by the vice-president of the United States.
'Details of any visit would be for the White House to comment on, however it is important that we prepare in advance for what would be a significant policing operation.'
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