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STV News
13 hours ago
- Business
- STV News
What was it really like reporting on Trump's working holiday in Scotland?
'That's him away'. Its a line from the end of the great film Local Hero, which Andrea Brymer quoted to me standing on the 18th green of the New Course on the Menie Estate. Marine One, the US President's helicopter, whisked Trump away from an action packed few days in Scotland. On previous visits by President Trump I have covered protests and the politics around the trip, but this was the first time I had been up close and seen a bit of how these things work and the sheer scale of it all. I was on holiday last week so wasn't involved in reporting the first few days of the most public private visit ever. It was quite a return to work on Monday though, knowing that I would be inside Turnberry at the Ballroom press conference ahead of the bi-lateral meeting between the President and Prime Minister. That came about by pot luck. The Scottish Parliamentary Journalists Association was given two spots in the media pool alongside four Westminster reporters and the travelling White House press pack. My name was drawn out of the hat for broadcasters and Andrew Learmonth of The Herald was drawn on the newspaper side. STV News My plan was always to ask about whisky tariffs, which seemed like the most pressing Scottish issue to raise with the President and the Prime Minister as they finalise the UK/US trade deal. Under the deal as it stands they come under the 10% tariff rate, but the industry say that will cost £4m a week which will hit jobs and investment. They are pushing for zero tariffs because Scotch Whisky can only be produced in Scotland, production can't be moved to the US, and there is no similar tariff on bourbon imports from the US to the UK. Before Monday I had only ever seen White House press briefings with the President on telly or online and they seemed like real bun-fights. All at the whim of President Trump, a bit of a free for all with journalists trying to catch the President's eye or just outshout their colleagues. There is no guarantee of getting to ask your question, let alone pressing POTUS for an answer. So I turned up at Turnberry on Monday more in hope than expectation. In fact I turned up at a car park near Turnberry at 8.30am to be bussed in through the ring of steel. I turned up for a day at a five star hotel, with a packed lunch as instructed after a warning that lunch options would be restricted – that made me laugh. They did actually provide sandwiches, shortbread and obviously for a Trump resort, millionaire's shortbread. We were sequestered in a room in the Spa, from the window we could see the President's car – known as the Beast. STV News These kind of events inevitably involve a lot of hanging about, in fact they are probably 90% hanging about. We were allowed out of the room to go to the toilet – complete with gold coloured taps (almost everything is gold coloured) or visit the shop where you could buy a Maga hat at £55 or a pack of gold Trump playing cards (made in China, that made me laugh too) for £15. For all Trump's business credentials, I think he has missed a trick by not selling tartan Maga hats at Turnberry and Menie. After five hours of hanging about, we were taken outside for the arrival of the Prime Minister and his wife. They were greeted on the steps of Turnberry by President Trump. This is when it really felt like the court of Trump. The President of the United States of America was meeting the Prime Minister in the UK but everything was on Trump's terms, he was calling all the shots. They stayed on the steps for a while as a piper played loudly in the background, then took some questions from the waiting press pack. I had been running over my question in my head, during the hanging about, in preparation for the press conference and was a bit surprised that he was taking so many questions on the steps. What if this was it? Inevitably things were running late, they always do so what if there wasn't going to be another chance? So I shouted, above the pipes, 'Is there a better deal to be done on whisky tariffs?'. He answered 'We'll talk about that. I didn't know whisky was a problem. I'm not a big whisky drinker'. The President took about 15 minutes of questions on the steps, much of it drowned out by the piper. He spoke about Gaza, Russia, other parts of the trade deal and said the Prime Minister's wife was well respected in America. That may well be the case, but I don't imagine many Americans know who she is given how much she carefully keeps out of the spotlight. STV News Back in the holding room, no one knew what opportunity there would be for further questions, but after an hour of hanging about we were led round the back of the hotel, past dozens of golf buggies, including the President's special armoured one – a kind of mini-beast or beastie – past the bins and in the back door to a store room filled tables and chairs for the Ballroom. After half an hour of hanging about there were allowed in to the Ballroom where the President, the PM and their officials were waiting for us. I made sure I was near the front to try to nab a good spot. I knew that my earlier question and answer had been drowned out a bit by the piper so was determined to get it in again. After a lot of hanging about I wasn't taking any risks. These things last as long as the President lets them. He could take a couple of questions or dozens. It really does come down to who shouts the loudest or catches his eye. Realistically I wasn't going to catch his eye but I am quite loud. STV News After questions on Russia and Gaza I took my chance – 'Mr President, you say you love Scotland, you're the most Scottish President ever (he likes being the most something ever). Is there a better deal to be done with the Prime Minister for Scottish industry, on whisky for example?' He then told us about his mother coming from Lewis, 'serious Scotland' as he described it, he says he loves Scotland and the way he talks he does seem to have a genuine affection for Scotland. I know he doesn't like being interrupted and I know I can be a bit interrupt-y so I had to restrain myself as he went on about that. Eventually I followed up with 'but is there a better deal to be done for Scotland, for whisky?' He said 'I assume when we do our trade deal a lot of it comes to Scotland I hope, maybe all of it should go to Scotland.' He said that smiling at the Prime Minister who jumped in to say 'it's a very good deal for the whole United Kingdom', but the President came back with 'a lot of it is coming to Scotland, and I am very particular this is a part of the world I want to see thrive'. The press conference continued for another hour, and it contained real news lines: cutting the deadline for a Russian ceasefire in Ukraine from 50 to ten or 12 days, recognising the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, although President Trump is still incredibly closely tied to Israel. Andrew Learmonth got his question in about the First Minister's plans for another Independence Referendum, to which President Trump said he didn't want to get involved in politics. He had advice for the Prime Minister on tackling immigration and he took a question on wind power from the Press Association's Craig Paton to pick up his lance and tilt at 'windmills', Donald Trump as Don Quixote. To give President Trump his due he took pretty much all the questions thrown at him. He didn't answer them all directly, he rambled on and on at times, but in many of his answers there was a news nugget. The press conference ended after a few questions on the Epstein scandal – I think the US media threw them in just to shut him up. STV News The whole thing was quite an experience. Up close President Trump was more engaging than I had expected, more charismatic, but alternating between interesting and boring, funny and just plain barking. I had one job to do at Turnberry on Monday. Get a line on Scotland. For me the news line was on whisky tariffs, and the President delivered. The First Minister and the whisky industry believe there is now a window of opportunity over the next few weeks to get the tariffs on whisky down, maybe even down to zero. They think they've got until the President's state visit in September. That's when it will shift from the political travelling Court of Trump we've just seen, to the actual Court of King Charles, which is what President Trump really loves – 'No-one does pomp and ceremony like you people'. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Forbes
15 hours ago
- Business
- Forbes
The World's Best Blended Scotch Whiskeys For Under $50-According To Experts
The five best blended Scotch whiskies for under $50 according to the 2025 San Fransisco World Spirit Competition. Sophia Lindenberger When it comes to Scotch whisky, blended bottles often get overshadowed by their single malt cousins. But that does a disservice to a category with deep roots and global reach. Blended Scotch has a long and proud history, dating back to the 19th century when merchants like Johnnie Walker and Chivas brothers began combining single malts and grain whiskies from different distilleries to create more consistent and approachable spirits. Today, blended Scotch remains the most widely consumed style of Scotch whisky in the world—accounting for roughly 90% of all Scotch sold globally. While it's not hard to lay your hand on a great blended scotch, there are tons of them out there, the best resemble their single malt relatives in carrying triple digit price tags. But as is often the case, a lower price tag doesn't quantify a lower quality liquid. You can score a fantastic, blended scotch cheaply if you know where to look. The San Francisco World Spirit Competition just released its list of the Best Blended Scotch Whisky Under $50 from its 2025 judging. All five of these bottles were awarded a Double Gold medal, its highest accolade, for scoring 97 points. If you're looking for elite flavor without the premium markup, these are the bottles worth tracking down. Launched a few years ago as part of a luxury lifestyle brand, D'YAVOL may seem like style over substance, but you couldn't be more wrong. This whisky proves otherwise. Made from a blend of unpeated and single grain whiskies from the Lowlands, Highlands, and Speyside, with peated Islay whiskies, VORTEX is bold, balanced, and full of personality. Expect layers of toffee, dried fruit, and spice, with a rich mouthfeel and long finish. It's a blend that punches above its price point and shows that a newcomer can compete with the established heavyweights. One of the most affordable on the list, High Commissioner is a no-frills blend from Loch Lomond Group that has quietly built a reputation for solid quality. It is a highly popular scotch whisky in the United Kingdom that is valued for delivering a consistently high-quality sip with every pour. It offers notes of sweet grain, honey, and light oak with a smooth and clean finish, making it an excellent everyday pour or cocktail base. What it lacks in pedigree, it makes up for in sheer drinkability. Formerly known as Naked Grouse (it was a line extension from The Famous Grouse), this is a thoroughly modern scotch that perfectly highlights the complexity that often is found in a great blend. By taking a blend of premium single malts, including Macallan, Highland Park, and Glenturret, and maturing it in first-fill sherry casks, they create a rich, full-flavored whisky. Naked Malt brings depth and a velvety texture, with notes of dried fruit, cocoa, and baking spice. It's the perfect dram for fans of sherry-forward whiskies who want something polished but accessible. The name may have changed, but the quality remains high. Monkey Shoulder Blended Malt Scotch This cult favorite has long been the bartender's choice for blended malt, and for good reason. Crafted from a mix of Speyside single malts, Monkey Shoulder has been pulling in major accolades since its launch in 2005. It is a smooth, approachable, and versatile whisky that consistently delivers. On the palate, it offers vanilla, citrus, malt, and a subtle creaminess. It's as good, neat as it is in a Rob Roy or Penicillin, making it one of the most flexible whiskies on the shelf. Noble Rebel Smoke Symphony Blended Malt Scotch The most adventurous of the bunch, Smoke Symphony comes from the Noble Rebel line, a new project by Loch Lomond Distillers. Designed to push boundaries, this scotch is made from a blend of single malts concocted under the watchful eye of Master Blender Michael Henry. This blend marries peat smoke with orchard fruit, toasted oak, and subtle spice. It's a contemporary take on smoky whisky, offering complexity without overwhelming your senses. For those who want a hint of Islay-style character in a refined Highland package, this is a top pick. Follow here for the most up to date information about the ever changing beer, wine, and spirits industry. MORE FROM FORBES Forbes The 8 Best Single Malt Scotch Whiskies Under $100 In 2025—According To Experts By Hudson Lindenberger Forbes These Are The Best Bourbons Of 2025 (So Far), According To Spirits Competitions By Hudson Lindenberger Forbes How To Read A Bourbon Label By Hudson Lindenberger
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mirror
MIKEY SMITH: I followed Donald Trump around Scotland - and one thing was oddly missing
There was plenty of golf being played during his visit to the White House's Scottish branch office. But there was something - or someone - curiously conspicuous by their absence I've spent quite a lot of time looking at Donald Trump over a hedge this week - and one thing was curiously missing. There was plenty of golf being played during his visit to the White House's Scottish branch office. Some beautiful scenery. Some late-night Truth Social posts. But the faint smell of cigarette smoke and sound of raspy, Kentish laughter was absent. It's hard to say whether Nigel Farage's no-show at Turnberry this weekend was a snub by Trump to a man who's been slowly edging out of his orbit in the last few months. Alternatively, it could have been a calculated move by Farage because the US President's Epstein difficulties are - even by Nigel's standards - making him too toxic. If it's the latter, Trump will have done himself no favours today - but more of that later. Standing in front of a live TV camera with Donald Trump is always a risky move. So whatever possessed Keir Starmer to agree to do it twice in a day is quite beyond me. That said - other than a handful of awkward moments in what seemed like hours of on-camera questioning - Starmer seems to have emerged from his visit to Trumpworld, South Ayrshire, largely unscathed. Aside from the incredibly loud bagpipes drowning most of it out, his arrival at Turnberry could hardly have gone better. Trump praised the PM to the high heavens. And his wife. And his immigration policies. Trump offered to discuss scrapping tariffs on Scotch Whisky - even suggesting he could break a lifetime of sobriety by trying some for himself. There were some slightly awkward expressions when the President complained - again - that nobody had said thankyou for the aid the US had sent to Gaza. But Starmer seems to have convinced him to take our side rather than Benjamin Netanyahu's. "You have to get the kids fed," before moving on to "phase two" in Gaza. Phase two presumably meaning the conversion of Gaza into the Vegas of the Middle East, but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. The sticky moments were very few. Trump branded Sadiq Khan a "nasty person" - probably giving an instant boost to his approval numbers in London, where Trump fans are few and far between. Nevertheless, it prompted Starmer, doing his best Hugh Grant, to lean towards the Donald, touch his arm and declare Sadiq a "friend". Nigel Farage only got the briefest of mentions - Trump called him a friend and said he was doing "very well." And then, after a weekend of (mostly) managing to avoid the E-word, it only took a couple of questions from the admitted media to set Trump off. "It's a hoax," he insisted of the files - suggesting that if anything in them makes him look bad, then it's "phony" and has been planted there by his enemies. But in the middle of all this there was a sliver of actual new information - potentially quite a significant one for people following this story. Trump claimed the reason he fell out with Epstein in the early 00s was because the notorious paedophile kept stealing his staff and he'd had enough of it. It may be entirely unrelated, but Epstein's most well-known victim, Virginia Giuffre, then 16, was working for Donald Trump at Mar A Lago in 2000 when she was recruited by Maxwell to be a 'masseuse' for Epstein. All that was left after the two rounds of grilling and a brief closed-doors meeting was to head to Prestwick airport and hop on Air Force One. Because not only is Starmer having a two-Trump press conference day, he's having a two-Trump golf courses day. The trip to Aberdeenshire will be his first aboard Trump's airborne White House. Hopefully he'll bring us back some of the infamous AF1 branded M&Ms.
Telegraph
3 days ago
- Business
- Telegraph
Donald Trump deflects calls to look again at tariff on Scotch whisky
Donald Trump has deflected calls to look again at a 10 per cent tariff he has imposed on whisky exports to the US despite emphasising his love for Scotland. Speaking before talks with Sir Keir Starmer at his Turnberry golf resort in Ayrshire, he said they planned to discuss Scotch whisky tariffs and he wanted to make the Prime Minister 'happy.' But, in a joint press conference afterwards, he said 'a lot' of the benefits of the trade deal he has reached with the UK 'comes to Scotland' and he wanted the country to 'thrive'. He gave no commitment to revisiting the tariff despite emphasising his and his mother Mary's love of Scotland. She was born and brought up on the Hebridean island of Lewis but emigrated to New York. The US has long been Scotch whisky 's biggest market by value, with £971m of sales last year. It is estimated the tariff is costing the industry, which is the UK's most valuable food and drink export, about £4m a week. Mr Trump hit Scotch whisky with a 25 per cent tariff in 2019, during his first term, a move that cost the industry £600m. The charges were repealed 18 months later. Although the 10 per cent tariff on most UK goods is the lowest rate of any US trading partner, the Scotch Whisky Association has said it was 'disappointed' by the move. Asked about the charge, Mr Trump said: 'Well we'll talk about that. I didn't know whisky was a problem. I'm not a big whisky drinker. But maybe I should be one.' He added: 'Well, we're going to take a look at it.' Although a bagpiper made it difficult to hear some of his remarks, the president said: 'We want to make the Prime Minister happy.' Asked about the tariff after the talks, Mr Trump said: 'I have great love for Scotland. My mother loved Scotland, and she loved the Queen [Elizabeth II].' He said he travels abroad and meets heads of state, 'but it's different when your mother was born here'. Pressed again if there was a better deal to be done for whisky trade given his love of Scotland, Mr Trump said: 'I assume when we do our trade deal overall, a lot of it comes to Scotland. I hope maybe all of it should go to Scotland! 'A lot of it comes to Scotland and I was very particular about this. This is a part of the world I want to see thrive. It's going to thrive.' Sir Keir said: 'We have already achieved great things on the deal, and we'll achieve even more as we work together.' Mr Trump and Sir Keir were scheduled to fly to the president's golf resort in Aberdeenshire, where John Swinney, the First Minister, was expected to join them for a private ceremonial dinner. Mr Swinney said he also planned to argue for the abolition of the whisky tariff during discussions with the president, which are scheduled to take place on Tuesday. He told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland programme: 'Tariffs are very important for the Scottish economy and obviously scotch whisky is a unique product. 'It can only be produced in Scotland. It's not a product that can be produced in any other part of the world. So there's a uniqueness about that, which I think means there is a case for it to be taken out of the tariffs arrangement that is now in place.'
The Independent
3 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
Swinney to press Trump on Scotch whisky tariffs exemption
Scotland's First Minister has vowed to press President Donald Trump to exempt Scotch whisky from US trade tariffs. John Swinney said the 'uniqueness' of whisky made in Scotland justified the exemption from the 10% tariff applied on UK exports into the US. The First Minister, who is due to hold talks with Mr Trump during his ongoing visit to Scotland, said the tariffs were currently costing the local whisky industry £4 million a week. 'Tariffs are very important for the Scottish economy and obviously scotch whisky is a unique product,' he told BBC Breakfast. 'It can only be produced in Scotland. It's not a product that can be produced in any other part of the world. So there's a uniqueness about that, which I think means there is a case for it to be taken out of the tariffs arrangement that is now in place. 'Obviously the trade deal with the United States provides a degree of stability for economic connections with the United States, but the application of tariffs is increasing the costs for the Scotch whisky industry. 'So one of my objectives will be to make the case to President Trump that Scotch whisky should be exempted from those tariffs. 'It's a product that is uniquely produced in Scotland, and it's a product that is much welcomed and supported within the United States. And I think there's a really good case for exempting Scotch whisky, and this is an opportunity that I have to put that case to President Trump on behalf of the Scotch whisky industry, which is a significant part of the Scottish economy. 'And the tariffs just now are costing the industry about £4 million each week, so it's a very significant burden on the industry. It would help growth and development within the Scottish economy if we could secure that deal. And, obviously, I'll be using every opportunity I have to try to put that across to President Trump.' Mr Trump's five-day visit to Scotland is largely a private one that has seen the president play golf at his course at Turnberry in Ayrshire ahead of opening a new course at his property in Aberdeenshire on Tuesday. Mr Swinney said the final cost of the policing the visit has yet to be worked out. 'Obviously, we're working very closely with Police Scotland and the Scottish Police Authority about the arrangements for this visit,' he said. 'The security arrangements have gone well since President Trump arrived on Friday, and that's as it should be, because we've got an obligation to make sure that when we have major international visitors, when they come to Scotland, that they are protected and able to go about their activities. Pressed to reveal the bill, Mr Swinney added: 'All of that will be worked out and we'll address that with Police Scotland and the Scottish Police Authority, and we're talking to the United Kingdom government about these questions, but it's important that we have a secure policing operation. 'It's also important that members of the public who wish to express their point of view, who want to protest about the visit or about other issues, are able to go about their exercise of their democratic right to protest. That's exactly what they've been able to do since Friday, and that's the way it should be.'
