President-elect Donald Trump's upcoming visit to Scotland is set to coincide with a tour by Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, highlighting the uneasy relationship between Trump and the country. Trump, who is half Scottish and owns two golf courses in Scotland, has a history of contentious interactions with Scottish politicians and environmental policies.
Trump's Scottish ventures include the Trump Turnberry resort and a course at Menie in Aberdeenshire. The Menie course faced years of controversy over local opposition and environmental concerns, eventually approved by the Scottish government as a project of national importance. Trump later fought plans for a nearby offshore wind farm, taking the case to the UK Supreme Court.
In 2012, Trump appeared before a Holyrood committee, criticising the Scottish government's CO2 targets as 'absolutely ridiculous' and warning that pursuing wind energy would cause Scotland to 'go broke'. He clashed with Green MSP Patrick Harvie, who later called Trump 'an arrogant and racist bully'.
Despite tensions, Trump has engaged with Scottish politics, tweeting 'good luck' ahead of the 2014 independence referendum and praising the 'No' vote. He also threatened to withhold £700m of investment during a campaign to ban him from the UK, leading to accusations of 'blackmail'.
The visit comes as Starmer plans a separate tour, underscoring the political divide. Trump's relationship with Scotland remains complex, marked by business interests and political friction.
