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Daily Record
32 minutes ago
- Daily Record
Flight restrictions imposed over Scotland as Donald Trump prepares for trip to mother's homeland
The Civil Aviation Authority has issued guidance to cover the duration of the US President's time in Scotland. Flight restrictions will be imposed over parts of Scotland as part of routine security precautions for the arrival of Donald Trump on Friday. The Civil Aviation Authority has issued guidance to cover the duration of the US President's time in Scotland. In a briefing issued to the aviation industry today, it said: "The President of the United States (POTUS) will visit Scotland between July 25 and 29. "POTUS will visit several locations throughout Scotland and as part of the security arrangements the Secretary of State for Transport has decided that it is necessary, on the grounds of public safety and security, to introduce Restriction of Flying Regulations under Article 239 of the Air Navigation Order 2016 to restrict the operation of all types of aircraft between July 24 and 29". The initial restrictions cover Prestwick Airport, where Trump is expected to arrive from the US on board Air Force One, and the area surrounding the Turnberry resort in South Ayrshire where he is expected to be based. Further restrictions cover RAF Lossiemouth in the north-east and over the Menie Estate in Aberdeenshire, where Trump will open a new golf course named in honour of his later mother, Mary. It comes as a senior officer has warned Trump's upcoming visit to Scotland will 'undoubtedly stretch' police resources Chief Superintendent Rob Hay, president of the Association of Scottish Police Superintendents (Asps), said the visit of the US President would require a 'significant operation across the country over many days' from Police Scotland. His comments come in the wake of similar concerns from the Scottish Police Federation (SPF) – the body which represents rank and file officers. However Scottish First Minister John Swinney has insisted policing will not be put in a 'detrimental position' as a result of the visit. Trump is due to arrive in Scotland on Friday for a five-day private visit to his his golf resorts in both Ayrshire and Aberdeenshire. During his time in Scotland the President will meet both Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Swinney. Hay said: "The private visit of President Donald Trump to Scotland at the end of July will require the Police Service of Scotland to plan for and deliver a significant operation across the country over many days. 'This will undoubtedly stretch all our resources from local policing divisions to specialist and support functions such as contact, command and control.' Police superintendents and chief superintendents will have 'key leadership roles' for the visit, he added, saying they would be taking responsibility for areas such as planning and resourcing, intelligence gathering, command and control communications, armed operations, public order, and other specialist functions."
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Scotsman
34 minutes ago
- Scotsman
Donald Trump Scotland visit: How the future looks for Donald Trump's business empire in Scotland
The Trump Organisation is still sending money to Scotland as it pursues its long-term vision Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox 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... With Donald Trump set to arrive in Scotland for his first visit as US president since 2018, there is renewed focus on the resorts he intends to visit during his time in his mother's homneland. For Nic Oldham, general manager of Trump Turnberry, the trip will be an opportunity to showcase the work that has been carried at the South Ayrshire resort, both on its historic links courses and in the hotel and wider accommodation offerings. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad That includes extensive remodelling of swathes of the famous Ailsa course, and the addition of a whisky tasting roon, games room, boutique cinema, and - what else - a Trump store - within the hotel, all of which have opened in recent months. 'The team are always excited to see the Trump family members as they have done so much for the property and local economy and continue to invest,' Mr Oldham told The Scotsman. Donald Trump is set to return to Scotland this weekend. | Scotsman It is two decades since former president Mr Trump incorporated his first company in Scotland. The country is a place he has called 'home,' and despite the fact his affection is rarely reciprocated, the 78 year-old's footprint in the nation where his mother was born and raised is well-established and slowly expanding. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad While political commitments ensure that Mr Trump himself is an infrequent visitor, the responsibility for overseeing his two Scottish resorts - ultimately owned by a Florida-based revocable trust in Mr Trump's name - has fallen to his adult sons, alongside a coterie of trusted executives. Together, they are pursuing significant developments and remodelling work, with millions of pounds of investments planned. A series of investments totalling around £4 million are planned for the flagship Trump Turnberry, even though the resort's parent company, Golf Recreation Scotland, owes nearly £124m to other Trump-controlled entities. At the Trump Organisation's flagship resort, work has been carried over the past year to bolster its offering for well-heeled American golfers, who comprise the majority of its customers. After enduring long-standing losses under the former US president's ownership, the Turnberry property has turned two successive years of annual profits, and there are myriad plans afoot, with £1.8m earmarked for ongoing renovations of Turnberry's stately 118 year-old hotel. Donald Trump's Turnberry resort is undergoing extensive renovations, but is still far from securing the return of golf's prestigious Open Championship. Picture: Jeff J Mitchell / Getty | Getty Images All the while, the drive to increase occupancy, especially at the resort's cluster of self-catering villas, remains pressing, and the aim of those in charge is to generate annual revenues of around £40m - a bold ambition given the current figure stands at £21m. Turnberry is also wooing corporate custom, with the French fashion house, Dior, hosting a major conference at the property last autumn. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Another key goal remains unchanged: to secure the return of golf's Open Championship. Turnberry's Ailsa links is regarded as one of the finest courses anywhere in the world, yet 15 years have passed since it hosted the prestigious tournament. There are multiple reasons for that. Around 120,000 spectators descended on Turnberry in 2009, but nowadays, The Open's attendance figures exceed the quarter of a million mark; Turnberry's remote location and challenging transport infrastructure means it is unlikely to ever emulate such numbers. Then there is Mr Trump himself. The R&A has said it has no plans to stage any of its championships at Turnberry, although its stance has softened since a change in CEO. A remaining concern alongside the logistical problems is that the focus of any gathering would not be on the tournament, the players, or even the course, but Turnberry's notorious owner. Even so, a £1m 'upgrade' of the Ailsa course has beenc carried out to shift parts of the links closer to the Firth of Clyde coastline. The project was overseen by the renowned golf course architect, Martin Ebert, and according to one planning consultancy involved, was designed to 'facilitate the return of The Open Championship.' Mr Trump's Turnberry firm is planning extensive works at the resort's historic hotel. Picture: Jan Kruger/Getty | Getty Even bigger plans for the resort may or may not be revisited. In 2022, planning officials at the Scottish Government rejected Turnberry's calls for a change to planning policies that would have made it easier for the firm to pursue an expansion unprecedented in the property's history, with 120 acres of farmland given over to hundreds of 'high end' private houses, retirement villas, and apartments as part of a 'coastal retreat.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad At the time, Sarah Malone, executive vice-president of Trump International Scotland in Aberdeenshire, said the Trump Organisation would make a formal application to develop the site 'in due course.' In the north east, where the Trump International Scotland resort has hosted the likes of the Staysure PGA Seniors Championship, investment is also on the agenda. A new links course named after Mr Trump's mother, Mary, is scheduled to be officially opened during Mr Trump's visit, with Ms Malone promising the 'greatest 36 holes in golf.' A second course at Trump International Scotland in Aberdeenshire is set to open next summer, but the property has yet to turn a profit. Picture:. | Getty The Balmedie company, which has run up losses for 11 consecutive years and has received loans totalling more than £40m from Mr Trump, also received planning permission six years ago to create as many as 500 houses and 50 holiday homes at the Menie estate. Ms Malone said it had always been the case that any development would be 'phased,' adding that the business remains 'fully committed' to its long-term plans.
Scotsman
34 minutes ago
- Scotsman
Donald Trump Scotland visit: Donald Trump's Scottish heritage and business ties to Scotland explained
The US president is set to return to his mother's homeland Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox 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... With Donald Trump set to return to Scotland for the first time during his second term as US president, there is renewed interest in his own Scots roots. The 78 year-old was last in Scotland in May 2023 to break ground on a new course at his inaugural golf resort in Aberdeenshire, but it was a relatively low key visit compared to the bells and whistles that accompany a trip by a sitting US president. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Two years into his first term, Mr Trump visited Scotland in the summer of 2018 when he and his wife Melania spent two days at the Turnberry resort which he bought in 2014. Following his win in the 2016 presidential elections, Mr Trump said: 'I love Scotland. One of the biggest problems I have in winning [the US presidency], I won't be able to get back there so often.' Donald Trump is set to return to Scotland this weekend. | Scotsman This sentiment has been linked not only to his business here but also his heritage as his mother was born near Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis; a heartland of Scottish Gaelic. Here's everything we know about Mr Trump's ties to Scotland including his business links and ancestry. Donald Trump's Scottish roots explained While Mr Trump's father was a German American born in the Bronx of New York City, his mother was from the tiny village of Tong on the Isle of Lewis in the Scottish Hebrides. Her name was Mary Anne MacLeod and she was born in 1912 in Pebbledash Croft House in Tong as the youngest of ten children. Donald J Trump was the 45th president of the United States and the son of Mary Anne MacLeod (Right - aged 14) who was a Gaelic speaker from the Isle of Lewis in Scotland. Being raised in a Gaelic-speaking household, her first language was Scottish Gaelic while she learned English in school. Mary's maternal line was well-established in Tong village as her mother was born there in 1867 to parents Donald and Mary Smith. Some suspect Donald Trump was so named in honour of Mary Anne's maternal grandfather. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad It was common for islanders to migrate to North America in the early 1900s following events like the Highland Clearances and World War 1, so in 1930 Mary Anne sailed to the U.S. on the RMS Transylvania. There, she worked as a domestic servant and nanny for years before eventually meeting Frederick Trump who she married in 1936. The surname MacLeod is anglicised from the Gaelic 'Mac Leòid' meaning 'son of Leòd' (similar to the Isle of Lewis being Eilean Leòdhais.) MacLeods are associated with northwestern Scotland and its Viking heritage so some link 'Leòd' to the Old Norse 'ljótr' meaning 'ugly' but it has also been linked to the Germanic 'liút' meaning 'shining'. The Clan MacLeod Organisation says the slogan for MacLeod of Lewis is 'I BIRN QUHIL I SE' which means 'I shine, not burn'. Tycoon Donald Trump pictured at the house in Tong, on the Isle of Lewis, where his mother was brought up before she emigrated to the United States. During his visit, Trump reportedly spent less than two minutes in the home with his Scottish cousins. Donald Trump's business links in Scotland When Mr Trump took high office in 2016, one Scottish newspaper covered the event with a hyperlocal angle. The Buchan Observer covered the story on their website with the headline 'Aberdeenshire business owner wins presidential election' - unique but totally factual phrasing. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad According to NewsWeek, before his presidency, Mr Trump invested millions into two 'lavish' Scottish golf courses; Menie in Aberdeenshire and Turnberry in Ayrshire which he visited this year. He purchased Turnberry in 2014 from a Dubai-based company and announced his intention to invest around $260 million into transforming the venue. Mr Trump also bought a 570-hectare plot of land in 2006 at Menie located by the North Sea coast; he planned to convert it into 'the world's best golf course'. Two years later the Scottish Government granted the Trump Organization planning permission for his Aberdeenshire resort which Aberdeen Live reported as costing $1.3 billion. Donald J Trump pictured visiting his Turnberry golf course in 2016 ahead of his victory in the presidential elections. Six years after that the green of Trump International Golf Links was finally christened with the white of golf balls. However, Mr Trump has regrettably had a strained relationship with Scottish politicians and faced disputes with the likes of former SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad In 2022, the Herald reported that Sturgeon urged Americans to not re-elect Donald Trump 'at any point'. Upon her resignation in 2023, Mr Trump responded: 'Good riddance to failed woke extremist Nicola Sturgeon of Scotland!" What did Donald Trump say about Scotland? Mr Trump's visit to Scotland in 2023 was his first trip to the United Kingdom since 2019. He arrived at Aberdeen Airport around 11.30am and was welcomed by 'two pipers, a red carpet and a 10-vehicle motorcade' according to the BBC. As the former president approached a car waiting to collect him he addressed some reporters. He said: 'It's great to be home, this was the home of my mother.' He continued: 'My mother was an incredible woman who loved Scotland. She returned here every year and she loved the Queen. 'I love Scotland just as much.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Mr Trump announced that a second course on the Menie Estate at Balmedie would be dedicated to his mother and that it would 'host many great championships' in future.
