Trump in Scotland: Protests ongoing in Edinburgh and Aberdeen as President’s visit gets under way

Protests against US President Donald Trump, who was seen playing golf at the start of a private visit in Scotland, took place across the country on Saturday.

Trump landed at Prestwick Airport on Friday evening for a five-day visit to Scotland. After touching down, he headed for Trump Turnberry, which he bought in 2014.

A large number of police and military personnel were spotted searching the grounds at the golf resort in South Ayrshire, where US President Donald Trump is staying.

On Saturday morning, a major security operation surrounded the president as he took to the course on the first full day of his visit to Scotland.

He was seen on the golf course there, accompanied by his second son Eric, wearing a white cap and driving a golf buggy.

Police have road closures in place, with limited access for locals and members of the media.

Hundreds of protesters gathered in both Edinburgh and Aberdeen on Saturday to voice their opposition to US President Donald Trump’s visit to Scotland.

Scottish Green co-leader Patrick Harvie hit out at First Minister John Swinney for the promise of public cash for President Donald Trump’s golf resort.

He likened that to John Swinney announcing he is “handing some pocket money to the school bully basically with £180,000 to support a golf tournament at the Menie estate”.

After Mr Trump again criticised the “windmills” used in green energy project when he touched down in Scotland, Mr Harvie said: “He’s attacking our renewables industry once again, one of the success stories of Scotland, and he is trying to attack and undermine it.

“That is after having trashed part of our natural environment on the Aberdeenshire coast to build his golf resort.”

The Green MSP spoke out as he joined hundreds of other anti-Trump protesters at a demonstration in the Scottish capital.

Hundreds of anti-Trump protesters in Aberdeen gathered to listen to speeches near the city’s William Wallace statue.

Speakers at the rally – organised by the Stop Trump coalition – included Scottish Greens MSP Maggie Chapman, climate activists and disability and trans rights campaigners.

In warm sunshine, the crowd cheered and clapped as speakers criticised the US President and his record on minorities, and also raised the issue of the conflict in Gaza.

A number of speakers also commented on the reported £14 million cost of the visit.

A retired scientist taking part in the anti-Trump protest in Aberdeen has called on the Government to “take a moral stand” against the US President.

Roderick Scott, 66, told the PA news agency: “I think Trump is a menace to everyone in the world. There’s no activity that, as President, he has not confounded the wellbeing of people in.

“In particular, the people of Gaza and Ukraine, (he’s) an unreliable ally, failing to supply ammunition on time and holding it as a carrot in front of the Ukrainians and extorting their own assets from them to keep them in the fight for freedom.

“Withdrawing from the World Health Organisation, LGBT rights and damage to those communities in the US, the failure to support medical programmes in Africa.

“Locally, of course, damaging the local environment by building golf courses in spaces of special scientific interest, even against the will of the local community and indeed the local council, which got overridden in the first instance by central government on the promise that there will be jobs and opportunities which never materialised.”

As the speeches ended, chants of “Trump Trump Trump, out out out” could be heard, along with “Donald, Donald, hear us shout, all of Scotland wants you out”.

There was a brief flare-up on the edge of the rally during the final speech, with a passer-by appearing to argue with protesters wearing Palestinian colours.

Police officers intervened and the person was led away, to heckles from the watching protesters.

On Friday, one man was arrested for abusive behaviour at Prestwick Airport and was given a recorded warning.

In Aberdeen, the group that gathered in the city centre were seen waving banners with anti-Trump slogans – with one demonstrator even dressed as the president with a large papier mache head.

Some members of the crowd also showed their support for Palestine, waving Palestine flags.

However, not everyone is protesting the president’s arrival in Scotland.

Scott Burgess, who had dinner with Trump two years ago, said that his behaviour on camera affects “people’s perception” of him.

He told STV News: “Well, I came back from two years ago when I was in the US. And it was a very cool experience to be able to see, you know, his motorcade arrive and the security, and then obviously be able to meet him at the halfway house two years ago. And then we went for dinner with him. So it was an experience, once-in-a-lifetime experience, I would say.

“You were saying he’s quite different, maybe to what the perception is of him when he got there. Yeah. So I think the perception of him from the camera’s is that he’s quite, you know, a loaded person. But inside he is a lot kinder. And you could maybe see him on television, maybe even a wee bit quieter than normal, which you wouldn’t expect from him.”

A Liverpool couple that spoke to STV News travelled up to Scotland from Liverpool to try and “catch a little glimpse” of Trump.

They told STV News: “We came up from Liverpool last night. Stayed over in Glasgow. We’ve been up to the Prestwick Airport this morning trying to get a glimpse of Air Force One and the Trump plane, and we’ve just made our way down to the golf course. We’re now trying to catch a little glimpse of him, mainly because it might be the only chance we ever get to see him here.

“I know he’s doing a state visit in London, but I feel, you know, private escorts are around and everything. So that’s what we’re trying. Get a glimpse of him while we can. Obviously, we support Maga and Trump and what he’s doing. So, yeah, we just thought we’d get up here.”

The occasion is officially private, rather than presidential, but Trump will hold meetings with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and First Minister John Swinney.

Police Scotland is working on the assumption there will be protests in Ayrshire, Aberdeen, Glasgow and Edinburgh.

According to a survey published in March, approximately 70% of Scots have an unfavourable view of Trump.

The survey by Ipsos Scotland found 71% of the 1,025 respondents questioned between February 21 and 26 held an unfavourable view of the American leader compared to 18% with a favourable view.

It also showed a gulf between Scotland and the rest of the UK, where 57% held an unfavourable view of the President and 25% a favourable one.