Latest news with #TrumpInternationalScotland
Business Mayor
16-05-2025
- Business
- Business Mayor
Edinburgh tops list as US housebuyers eye a UK home
Inquiries from people in the US about buying a home in Britain are at an eight-year high, with Edinburgh topping the list, new data shows. Hard on the heels of figures showing US applications for UK citizenship are at record levels, Rightmove, the property website, said that since the start of the year the number of inquiries from North Americans about UK homes for sale was up 19% on the same period last year. Some of this has been linked to Donald Trump's attacks on academia, civil society and political opponents, as well as growing uncertainty about the impact of his economic policies, such as his trade tariffs. The estate agent John D Wood & Co said it was seeing 'a number of politically motivated relocations – Americans who are seeking greater stability abroad'. But if the growing interest in the UK in part reflects a desire to escape the US president, some may be surprised to see that Scotland has replaced London as the most popular location to inquire about. Trump has strong links to Scotland: his mother was born just a few miles from Stornoway, on the Outer Hebridean island of Lewis; he owns Trump International Scotland, a golf resort in Aberdeenshire; and he has previously declared: 'I think I do feel Scottish.' Edinburgh is the most popular destination in Rightmove's 2025 top 10, pushing London's Westminster into second place. Glasgow, meanwhile, has risen to fourth place, just behind Camden in third and overtaking London's Kensington and Chelsea. Other areas of Scotland in the top 10 include Highland, Argyll and Bute and Fife. The Cotswolds has long been popular with well-off Americans: it has been named 'the Hamptons of England', and the former chatshow star Ellen DeGeneres and her wife, Portia de Rossi, are among those to move there recently. But it was notable in its absence from the 2025 top 10. Some of this US interest may be from people who see the UK predominantly as a investment opportunity. Rightmove – Britain's biggest property website – said its data included people inquiring about moving to the UK from the US as well as those wanting a second home or buy to let property. Rightmove said that over the past 10 years, London had received the biggest proportion of US inquiries, but that at the start of 2025 it switched to Scotland, 'potentially due to its lower price point'. Colleen Babcock, Rightmove's property expert, said some of the knock-on effects of Trump's tariff announcements and the economic uncertainty globally were starting to be felt in the UK property market. 'Whether it's because the UK is seen as a more stable investment opportunity, or whether some buyers are considering a permanent move across the Atlantic, we're seeing an increase in inquiries from the US,' she said. Glynn Gibb, a regional director at John D Wood & Co, said the agent had seen a steady rise in inquiries from US buyers interested in 'prime' central London. 'London's culture and global connectivity make it an ideal springboard to Europe and beyond. Many are basing themselves here temporarily – often staying with friends – while they work out how long they plan to stay. We expect activity to build in the coming months – spring and early summer are typically busy – as more buyers make lifestyle and financial decisions shaped by the political climate in the US,' he said.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Fact Check: T
Claim: U.S. President Donald Trump's golf course in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, hired extra security due to Scottish men breaking in and defecating in the course's holes. Rating: Context: This particular claim is false according to Trump International Scotland, but there is a history of vandalism at Trump's Scottish resorts as recently as March 2025. There is a well-documented history of opposition to Trump in Scotland, primarily stemming from the controversial and contested development of the Aberdeenshire resort in question, which opened in 2012. Claims that a golf course U.S. President Donald Trump owns in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, had to increase security staff due to Scottish men breaking in and defecating in the course's holes circulated online in April 2025. Social media users shared the claim across platforms, with multiple posts on Threads (archived, archived), X (archived) and Facebook (archived). Many posts celebrated the inherent humor of the claim. However, claims that Trump's golf course near Aberdeen hired extra security due to Scottish men breaking in and defecating in the course holes were false. A public relations adviser for Trump International Scotland called these claims "categorically untrue in every respect" and told Snopes via email, "I trust this response will put the matter to bed as any story suggesting there is merit in this claim would be completely wrong." The claims appeared to have originated as a joke from stand-up comedian Russell Howard, who posted a clip of the bit on TikTok (archived) on April 8, 2025, promoting upcoming tour dates. Though there are some examples of this claim circulating earlier, many of the recent claims surfaced after Howard shared the clip on TikTok account. It was not immediately clear when Howard first delivered the joke on stage. In the clip, Howard says, "Donald Trump's got a golf course in Aberdeen. They've had to put extra security staff on at that golf course because Scottish men keep breaking in and s******* in the holes. That's how we feel about Mr. Trump." @russellhoward I think we all know what the Scottish make of Trump's tariffs… ♬ original sound - Russell Howard Howard has not yet responded to Snopes' request for comment. We will update this article if we hear back. While this particular claim appeared to have originated from a comedian's joke, the premise tapped into real animosity locals have expressed toward Trump and his Aberdeenshire golf course. Trump's 2006 purchase of an estate in Aberdeenshire that eventually became the resort featuring the golf course in question left him notoriously unpopular in Scotland. Many locals opposed the development, with the Aberdeenshire Council rejecting the proposal following objectors' complaints that "the resort would have a major impact on wildlife and destroy a beautiful part of Scotland," according to the BBC. The Scottish government later approved the plan in 2008. A 2016 report in The Guardian said: Despite the bitter opposition of all Scotland's environment agencies and charities, Scottish government ministers, who were backed by local business and council leaders, decided the scheme was of national importance. In November 2008 they ruled that this allowed Trump to bulldoze through a third of the Foveran dunes complex, a legally protected site of special scientific interest (SSSI), and breach the council's structural plans, which defined Menie as green belt land. Part of the cited "national importance" was Trump's promise of 6,000 new jobs that would be created by the resort. However, The Guardian further stated that in 2016 the resort had only 95 employees, many of them seasonal. Trump's battle against local critics continued even after the approval. Trump attempted to seize surrounding properties through a process called compulsory purchase, which allows certain entities to "purchase land without the owner's agreement, if there is considered to be a strong enough case in the public interest in doing so," according to the official website of the Scottish government. According to a 2009 report in The Guardian, Trump "issued an abusive attack" on Michael Forbes, a Scottish salmon fisherman and quarryman opposed to the development, "after Forbes's elderly mother began legal proceedings to prevent the local council seizing her home by compulsory purchase." Eventually, "Trump's workers broke a crucial pipe that connected their homes to the only nearby water source," according to a 2016 report in The Daily Beast, and refused to repair it, "forcing the 92-year-old Molly Forbes to collect water from a stream she carted back to her home in a wheelbarrow. For four years." After Molly Forbes sought legal recourse, per The Guardian's report, Trump issued a statement calling Michael Forbes "a loser who is seriously damaging the image of both Aberdeenshire and his great country." The resort in Aberdeenshire opened in 2012. In 2024, the Scottish project director who helped facilitate the deal told the BBC that he felt "hoodwinked and ashamed that I fell for it and Scotland fell for it." As a result of ongoing conflict with Aberdeenshire locals and scathing reports about Trump's negative effect on the community, some Scottish citizens have expressed their opposition to the U.S. president through vandalism. Most recently, pro-Palestinian activists vandalized Trump's hotel and resort in Turnbull, Scotland, resulting in multiple criminal charges. Trump called the vandals "terrorists" on social media and wrote that he hoped they would be "treated harshly." Though there were no credible reports of Scottish men defecating in the holes at the Aberdeenshire golf course nor a subsequent increase in security, there is an entire Imgur post dedicated to vulgar signs featured at Scottish anti-Trump demonstrations. Similarly, a popular Reddit thread features an image of a man appearing to urinate on the Aberdeenshire golf course sign. "92-Year-Old Woman: Trump Ruined My Life." The Daily Beast, 26 Oct. 2016, Carrell, Severin, and Scotland correspondent. "Donald Trump Issues Abusive Statement against Golf Course Opponent." The Guardian, 24 Nov. 2009. The Guardian, Carrell, Severin, and Severin Carrell Scotland editor. "Donald Trump Faces Wall of Opposition as He Returns to Scotland." The Guardian, 23 June 2016. The Guardian, Compulsory Purchase of Property. Accessed 12 May 2025. "Donald Trump's Golf Course Wrecked by pro-Palestine Protesters." Newsweek, 8 Mar. 2025, Mitchell, Hilary. "This Is Why Lots Of Scottish People Hate Donald Trump." BuzzFeed, 13 Feb. 2017, "Scotland Is Kicking Donald Trump's Butt." The Daily Beast, 16 Dec. 2015, Scotland Was "hoodwinked" by Donald Trump, Says Former Aide. 29 Mar. 2024. TikTok - Make Your Day. Accessed 12 May 2025. Trump's £1bn Golf Plan Rejected. 29 Nov. 2007. Trump's £1bn Golf Resort Approved. 3 Nov. 2008. Two More Charged over Trump Turnberry Vandalism. 4 Apr. 2025, "Why Scotland Probably Won't Be Too Worried about Donald Trump's Threats." The Independent, 19 Jan. 2017,
Fox News
08-03-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Trump's Scottish golf resort vandalized by pro-Palestine group over Gaza stance
President Donald Trump's highly acclaimed Turnberry golf resort in Scotland was vandalized with graffiti overnight Friday by pro-Palestine activists who also dug holes into one of the course's fairways. Drone footage shows the resort's clubhouse splattered with red paint while giant white letters reading "Gaza Is Not For Sale" were painted on an area next to a green. The lamp post at the resort's entrance was also damaged while graffiti reading "Free Gaza" and "Free Palestine" were sprayed on the entrance's wall. The group Palestine Action took responsibility following Trump's plans for the future of Gaza, which could see millions of Palestinians displaced. "To make that clear, we have shown him that his own property is not safe from acts of resistance," the group said in a statement. Trump received heavy criticism last month when he suggested the U.S. take over Gaza during a press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netnayahu. His proposal would involve the relocation of Palestinians and turning the enclave into what he describes as the "Riviera of the Middle East." Trump's Turnberry golf course and hotel is located in southwest Scotland and has three courses – two 18-hole courses and one 9 hole course -- with the venue previously hosting four Open Championships. However, it hasn't staged the event since Trump bought the course in 2014 and renovated several holes. It wasn't immediately clear which course had been vandalized. The Alisa Course, its signature course, is named after an uninhibited volcanic island, Ailsa Craig, set across from the property that is half a billion years old. The course consistently ranks among the world's top 10 golf courses. "Yesterday, it was ranked #3 golf course in Europe. Today, it's shut," Palestine Action wrote on X. The resort is one of two that Trump, via the Trump Organization, operates in Scotland, with the second being Trump International Scotland in Aberdeen. The president is an avid golfer and his mother hailed from Scotland. Police in Scotland said they are investigating the incident. "Around 4.40 a.m. on Saturday, 8 March, 2025, we received a report of damage to the golf course and a premises on Maidens Road, Turnberry," a Police Scotland spokesperson said, adding that investigations were ongoing. Fox News Digital has reached out to the Trump Organization for comment. Separately on Saturday, a man waving a Palestinian flag climbed the Elizabeth Tower - commonly known as Big Ben - at London's Palace of Westminster.
