Latest news with #Ayrshire
BBC News
10 hours ago
- Business
- BBC News
What do we know about Donald Trump's visit to Scotland?
Donald Trump flies into Scotland on Friday for a four-day trip, his first visit to the UK since his US president is due to visit his golf resorts at Turnberry on the Ayrshire coast and Menie in White House has described the visit as a "private" trip and said he will meet Prime Minister Sir Keir Scottish government has confirmed that First Minister John Swinney will also meet the is due to return to the UK for an official state visit in have already been raised about the scale of the visit and the security implications, with police representatives raising concern about both the costs involved and the impact on staffing. Why is President Trump coming to Scotland? The fact this is not an official state visit means President Trump is largely free to set his own main purpose appears to be to visit his two golf courses - Trump International at Menie in Aberdeenshire and Trump Turnberry in South Ayrshire. Trump opened the former in 2012 and bought Turnberry two years has been a regular visitor to both courses over the years, the last time being in 2023 when he broke ground on a second course at the site in connections to Scotland are mother, Mary Anne MacLeod Trump, was born and raised just outside Stornoway in the Isle of Lewis. A native Gaelic speaker, she moved to New York aged 18, where she later married businessman Fred president has visited her former home in Tong more than once and has often spoken of his love of his mother's home investments have brought jobs to both his businesses in Scotland, though the scale of these have been clear, however, is that he retains a close interest in them, though serving presidents are meant - by convention - to step back from running any businesses while occupying the White House. When is President Trump coming to Scotland? The president is expected to arrive some time on Friday, and travel back to the US on Tuesday 29 schedule has not been made public but he is expected to split his time between his two Scottish bases at Turnberry and length of the trip and the relative lack of programmed meetings is a contrast to the forthcoming state visit, which will be a much more formal affair, from 17 to 19 that occasion, he and First Lady Melania Trump will stay at Windsor Castle as the guests of the King and Queen. Who is President Trump meeting in Scotland? Earlier this month, the president's press secretary told reporters at the White House that Trump would meet the prime minister in "Aberdeen" on Monday. Karoline Leavitt said the meeting with Starmer would "refine the great trade deal that was brokered between the United States and the United Kingdom".However, the Menie resort is about 10 miles (16km) north of the city and Downing Street has yet to confirm details of the proposed meeting, including where it will take place and what will be later said he had decided to meet the president on his trip because it was in Scotland's interests to do so. He said there were a number of domestic and international issues which were of interest to the people of Scotland including the Middle East, the war in Ukraine, and the imposition of tariffs on products such as Scotch whisky.A Scottish government spokesperson said the president's visit would be an opportunity to "promote the interests of Scotland".Swinney previously said he did not see how September's state visit could go ahead in the wake of President Trump's showdown with Ukraine's President Zelensky in the White House in Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie described John Swinney's decision to meet President Trump as "tragic".He said: "There can be no excuses for trying to cosy up to his increasingly fascist political agenda." What will President Trump's security be like? Presidential visits are enormous affairs and the security operation which will accompany Trump and his family is Force One - the president's jet - is a heavily-defended flying White House. The presidential motorcade, which includes two identical limousines and more than 20 other security and communications vehicles, is transported ahead of the visit by United States Air Force transport the ground, the president travels in Cadillac One - an armoured, high-powered enhanced limousine known as "The Beast". And there will have to be an enhanced police presence, taken from the ranks of the host country's own forces. For the last state visit in June 2019, more than 6,300 UK police officers were deployed at a cost to London's Metropolitan Police of £3.4m. A previous four-day working visit in 2018 cost more than £ 2018 trip to Scotland is thought to have seen more than 5,000 officers deployed, with the UK Treasury chipping in about £5m to help with the there are already concerns about how much this "private" trip will cost Scotland, especially against a backdrop of police complaints about spending on the Scottish Police Federation (SPF), which represents rank-and-file officers, has raised concerns about what the Trump visit will mean for its Scotland confirmed it was preparing for a presidential visit earlier this Scottish government said it had been working with the national force to put plans in place, with thousands of officers likely to be deployed as part of the security operation. Will there be protests against President Trump? President Trump is probably the most high-profile individual ever to visit Scotland. He's also at constant was an attempt on his life during the 2024 election and a man has been charged with attempting to assassinate the president after being found with a rifle at a golf course in Florida in September are at the higher end of the risks facing security teams guarding the most powerful man on of the coming visit's police resources will be taken up with balancing the right to democratic protest with the president and his entourage's ability to travel safely around last presidential visit made by Trump in 2018 required a major security operation, with thousands protesting in Glasgow, Edinburgh and was booed during an afternoon game of golf by demonstrators gathered along the the perimeter at Turnberry.A paraglider also flew over the hotel with a banner criticising the will undoubtedly be more protests this time around. Among those who have vowed to be out on the streets is Scottish Green leadership contender Ross Greer, who called the president a "dangerous extremist".He told the BBC that he would be protesting "in solidarity with the people in the US and across the world who are already suffering as a result of Donald Trump".Police Scotland have said they have the resources to deal with whatever the visit brings.
Daily Mail
13 hours ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Scots police throw-up ring of steel to protect Trump as President flies in to a security operation as big as the arrangements for Queen's funeral
Donald Trump's visit to Scotland will require a security operation as big as the arrangements for the Queen's funeral – involving up to 6,000 officers. Taxpayers face a bill of more than £3million for policing his stay which begins on Friday and ends next Tuesday and will include trips to the President's golf courses in Aberdeenshire and Ayrshire. The Mail can reveal around 5,000 Police Scotland officers will be needed for the 'large-scale, complex' Operation Roll 2 – the codename for policing the visit - with a further 1,000 drafted in from the rest of the UK under mutual aid arrangements. Today a 'ring of steel' was thrown up at Trump Turnberry - Mr Trump's luxury hotel and golf course in Ayrshire – with 10ft perimeter fencing erected as security measures are ramped up by officers with road closures now being put in place in and around the area. Several 'road closed' signs have been placed on the road, as well as checkpoints for 'authorised access'. Chinook helicopters were spotted at Prestwick Airport and on Monday US military planes and helicopters gathered ahead of his arrival. Last night the Scottish Police Federation (SPF), representing rank-and-file officers, rubbished assurances from top brass that day-to-day policing would not be impacted by the visit as 'utter nonsense' - warning that the waiting time for officer call-outs could double. General secretary David Kennedy said: 'It will have an impact – whereas now you might be waiting for four hours for a cop to turn up to a call, during the visit it is more likely to be eight hours.' He spoke out after the SPF said it was seeking legal advice as it believes the operation breaches workplace arrangements – but the Mail understands the dispute, in relation to overtime payments, has been resolved. The White House confirmed Mr Trump will visit his golf courses and intends to meet Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Mr Swinney during his private trip. Previous visits have drawn widespread demonstrations in Scotland's main cities. In 2018, a paraglider was able to enter the no-fly zone above the golf course at Turnberry and fly a banner reading: 'Trump - Below Par.' Mr Trump was on the front steps of the hotel as the light aircraft approached and was ushered inside by armed police officers. One of the groups most vocal in its plans to protest against the U.S. President's visit is the Stop Trump Coalition, which posted on social media platform X on Monday: 'On every street in Britain we reject Trump & his politics of hate, & we will meet him with protests all over the place!' The Scottish Police Authority is spending £350,182 on hiring security barriers and fencing related to Mr Trump's visit. At a media briefing in Glasgow today, Assistant Chief Constable Emma Bond, Police Scotland's 'gold commander' for Mr Trump's visit, said the operation would be the biggest for Scottish policing since the Queen's funeral in 2022. The Mail understands it will be - 'in the same category' as Operation Unicorn – the codename for policing events around the late monarch's funeral. Ms Bond has encouraged protest groups to discuss their plans with police ahead of the visit, adding: 'The key very much is to make sure the President of the United States can come, enjoy a peaceful and safe visit to Scotland and ensure Police Scotland is able to maintain delivery of services to the rest of the community within Scotland over the period of his visit.' Police are working on the assumption there will be protests in Ayrshire, Aberdeen, Glasgow and Edinburgh. Ms Bond said there is nothing at this stage to give her 'specific concern' about violence. Asked for her message to those considering disruptive protest, she said 'Police Scotland fully recognises people's right to peaceful protest... 'We would wish to make sure we can balance those rights against the impact on communities, on public safety. 'I would appeal to people obviously to stay within the bounds of peaceful protest. 'I'd be really clear however that abusive, threatening behaviour, any activity that's intended to disrupt events or in any way that poses a risk to public safety is not legitimate protest and will potentially require an intervention by policing.' Ms Bond said Police Scotland had been unable to pinpoint specifics of Operation Roll 2 because it does not yet know the President's movements in detail. She said 'multiple venues' are being factored into the force's forward planning. While she would not be drawn on whether the last-minute scheduling was hampering operational planning, Ms Bond said: 'The specifics of the schedule will be something for the White House to manage, and we will deal with whatever comes up. 'Policing continuously works in a world of ambiguity on occasion.' Ms Bond said its aim was to 'ensure that Police Scotland is able to maintain delivery of services' to the rest of Scotland during Mr Trump's stay – which the SPF said would be impossible due to the scale of manpower needed. All of the force's 84 protest liaison officers will be deployed across the weekend but Ms Bond declined to comment on how many officers in total would be involved in the operation, nor the expected cost. Mr Trump's 2018 visit – from July 12-15 - cost Police Scotland £3,022,544, paid for by the Treasury which funded the full cost - cash that was routed through the Scottish Government to the force. This year the cost is expected to be even higher as Mr Trump's stay will be longer. Officers will be working longer shifts than usual and leave over the period has been cancelled, meaning a significant investment in overtime costs will be needed. An appeal has been made to the Police Service of Northern Ireland for additional resources over the visit and Ms Bond said her officers have had 'direct engagement' with the U.S. Secret Service. Mr Trump's course in Aberdeenshire is to hold a tournament beginning the day after he leaves Scotland and the force is also policing that event. Today Mr Swinney said policing in Scotland will not be 'put in a detrimental position' because of the cost of Mr Trump's visit. Asked whether that funding would have to come from the already allocated policing budget, the First Minister said: 'We'll obviously work closely with Police Scotland on the funding of this policing operation and make sure that policing in Scotland is not in any way put in a detrimental position as a consequence of the visit of President Trump.'
The Sun
14 hours ago
- General
- The Sun
The little-known reason Scots should love BATS and why they're a lifesaver in the garden this summer
KING Charles is to provide a new home for bats at his Scottish mansion so work can go ahead. Surveys found evidence of potential roosting sites after he applied for permission to build a luxury wedding venue in Dumfries House near Cumnock, Ayrshire, where bat boxes have now been installed in the grounds of the A-listed building. 4 4 4 But The King isn't the only one to be left in a flap over bats with a £100million 'bat tunnel' also constructed for the controversial HS2 rail line in Buckinghamshire. Chief Features Writer MATT BENDORIS speaks to a top conservationist about why we need to help these nocturnal flying mammals. DOCTOR Joe Nunez-Mino has many reasons why a thriving bat population is good for the environment but one should endear them to Scots more than others - their voracious appetite for midges. As the biting insects continue to cause havoc at family barbecues and day-trips this summer, the one thing helping to keep them at bay are Scotland's airborne mammals. And Dr Joe from the Bat Conservation Trust insists that our nine species of resident bats help in many other ways too. He said: 'We can only estimate but we do know bats eat a lot of insects, each individual bat eating hundreds or even thousands (of midges) every night. 'Different bat species specialise in eating different insects, from biting insects like midges through to moths, including some insects that damage crops and gardens. 'To give one example, a study published last year estimated that bats in apple orchards reduce the total weight of apples damaged by codling moths by 50 per cent.' In the UK all bat species and their roosts are legally protected by both European legislation and domestic laws including Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations (2017). But since the Wildlife and Countryside Act of 1981 it has been a criminal offence to disturb a structure or place bats use for shelter or protection. 'He is spooked' - Moment The Open commentator hides under his jacket as BAT invades broadcasting booth at Portrush It means DIY and commercial builders have to carry out expensive bat surveys costing several thousands - or more if the mammals are found and need to be removed. Dr Joe said: 'There is a cost associated with protecting the environment just like there is with health and safety or protecting historical heritage. 'While we as an organisation don't have any control or influence on the costs of bat surveys, we have worked with some Statutory Nature Conservation Organisations (SNCO) to streamline the process where possible. 'To avoid delays, it's important to take bats into account from the earliest stages of planning work.' He adds: 'Having a bat roost does not prevent developing a property, bats just need to be taken into account as part of the process. Householders should seek advice from their SNCO.' However Dr Joe believes that bats get a bad press including the 1km long bat tunnel in Buckinghamshire that added an extra £100million to the runaway cost of the HS2 rail line. He said: 'We were not involved in the process. However, we do know that multiple cross-party inquiries have found that HS2's delays and cost overruns stem from mismanagement, not nature protections. 'HS2 did not carry out a timely strategic environmental assessment which could have identified viable alternatives that could have avoided significant expenditure and delay.' While in 2002 Scottish wildlife artist David McRae, 56, from Tayside, died from rabies after being bitten by a bat - it was the first case of indigenous rabies in the UK in 100 years. Dr Joe said: 'Two rabies-related viruses have been detected in two bat species in the UK and in only a very small number of individuals. 'If someone is bitten, licked, nipped or scratched by a bat they should wash and disinfect the area and urgently seek medical treatment. 'The NHS has said prompt post-exposure vaccinations have been 100 per cent effective in preventing the disease.' But Dr Joe believes that work done by organisations like his and the stringent laws are helping bats, which have been in decline, to slowly make a recovery. LAST March my wife and I bought an uninhabitable bungalow on Scotland's West Coast and wanted to pull it down before it fell down and replace it with a shiny new build. But 16 months on there hasn't even been a spade in the ground because late on in the planning process it was suddenly announced we needed a bat survey. The problem was by the time we were informed last year, the flying mammals would be hibernating for the winter and a dusk survey - with infrared cameras and sound equipment - couldn't be carried out until the spring. In the end we didn't have any roosting bats, but it has added a £1,800 bill to the project we hadn't budgeted for. Someone else in the area wasn't so lucky and it cost them £5,000 to have their bats removed by an ecologist. But surely with all the technology now available there has to be a quicker - and far cheaper - way of checking where they are roosting, so people can get on with their projects? And when I do finally get my new house built any neighbourhood bats are more than welcome to come and live rent free. He explains: 'All bat species have suffered historical declines in population numbers but we have seen signs of initial recovery in some species. 'We are currently able to monitor five of the nine resident bat species in Scotland through the National Bat Monitoring Program. 'Of these five, four species - Daubenton's bat, Natterer's bat, common pipistrelle and brown long-eared bat - show no significant change since the base line year of 1999 and one species has increased - soprano pipistrelle. 'Bat conservation is important because they are a vital part of our natural heritage which make up around a quarter of our mammal species and they also play a critical role in the ecosystem. 'There is very good evidence that bat populations help to reduce the need for pesticides which ultimately harms the health of other wildlife and people too.' He adds: 'Scotland would have a lot more midges and other insects without them.' *For more information on the Bat Conservation Trust visit 4
The Independent
18 hours ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Trump protesters urged to stay within the law during his trip to Scotland
A senior police officer has urged those who wish to protest during Donald Trump's trip to Scotland to stay within the law, as she said the priority will be for the US president to have a 'peaceful and safe' visit. Assistant Chief Constable Emma Bond said the operation to police the five-day visit will involve 'significant' resources, requiring Police Scotland to draw on mutual aid agreements with other forces. Known as Operation Roll, the exact numbers of police involved have not been revealed but it is expected to require Police Scotland's entire cadre of police liaison officers. The White House confirmed Mr Trump will visit his golf courses in Aberdeenshire and Ayrshire between July 25 and 29. He will meet Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and First Minister John Swinney during his private trip. The visit is likely to result in widespread protests, following similar demonstrations during his last visit to Scotland. Speaking to journalists on Tuesday, Ms Bond encouraged protest groups to discuss their plans with police ahead of the visit. She said: 'As you can imagine, it is a large-scale, complex operation, but actually that's something that Police Scotland is immensely experienced at doing.' The policing plan involves local, national and specialist officer from Police Scotland as well as other forces. She added: 'The key very much is to make sure the President of the United States can come, enjoy a peaceful and safe visit to Scotland and ensure Police Scotland is able to maintain delivery of services to the rest of the community within Scotland over the period of his visit.' Police are working on the assumption there will be protests in Ayrshire, Aberdeen, Glasgow and Edinburgh, she said. Ms Bond said Police Scotland will take a 'proportionate' approach to ensure people can protest safely, with the force offering to engage with demonstrators ahead of time on a 'no surprises' basis. However she said there is nothing at this stage to give her 'specific concern' about violence. Speaking to the PA news agency, she also said that concerns raised by the Scottish Police Federation are 'being resolved'. The organisation, which represents rank and file officers, said workforce agreements around health and safety may be breached. Asked for her message to those considering disruptive protest, she said 'Police Scotland fully recognises people's right to peaceful protest… 'We would wish to make sure we can balance those rights against against the impact on communities, on public safety. 'I would appeal to people obviously to stay within the bounds of peaceful protest. 'I'd be really clear however that abusive, threatening behaviour, any activity that's intended to disrupt events or in any way that poses a risk to public safety is not legitimate protest and will potentially require an intervention by policing.'
Yahoo
19 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump protesters urged to stay within the law during his trip to Scotland
A senior police officer has urged those who wish to protest during Donald Trump's trip to Scotland to stay within the law, as she said the priority will be for the US president to have a 'peaceful and safe' visit. Assistant Chief Constable Emma Bond said the operation to police the five-day visit will involve 'significant' resources, requiring Police Scotland to draw on mutual aid agreements with other forces. Known as Operation Roll, the exact numbers of police involved have not been revealed but it is expected to require Police Scotland's entire cadre of police liaison officers. The White House confirmed Mr Trump will visit his golf courses in Aberdeenshire and Ayrshire between July 25 and 29. He will meet Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and First Minister John Swinney during his private trip. The visit is likely to result in widespread protests, following similar demonstrations during his last visit to Scotland. Speaking to journalists on Tuesday, Ms Bond encouraged protest groups to discuss their plans with police ahead of the visit. She said: 'As you can imagine, it is a large-scale, complex operation, but actually that's something that Police Scotland is immensely experienced at doing.' The policing plan involves local, national and specialist officer from Police Scotland as well as other forces. She added: 'The key very much is to make sure the President of the United States can come, enjoy a peaceful and safe visit to Scotland and ensure Police Scotland is able to maintain delivery of services to the rest of the community within Scotland over the period of his visit.' Police are working on the assumption there will be protests in Ayrshire, Aberdeen, Glasgow and Edinburgh, she said. Ms Bond said Police Scotland will take a 'proportionate' approach to ensure people can protest safely, with the force offering to engage with demonstrators ahead of time on a 'no surprises' basis. However she said there is nothing at this stage to give her 'specific concern' about violence. Speaking to the PA news agency, she also said that concerns raised by the Scottish Police Federation are 'being resolved'. The organisation, which represents rank and file officers, said workforce agreements around health and safety may be breached. Asked for her message to those considering disruptive protest, she said 'Police Scotland fully recognises people's right to peaceful protest… 'We would wish to make sure we can balance those rights against against the impact on communities, on public safety. 'I would appeal to people obviously to stay within the bounds of peaceful protest. 'I'd be really clear however that abusive, threatening behaviour, any activity that's intended to disrupt events or in any way that poses a risk to public safety is not legitimate protest and will potentially require an intervention by policing.'
