Donald Trump touched down in Scotland to cheering crowds amid a massive security operation that spans the country.
Air Force One landed at the nationalised Prestwick Airport shortly before 8.30pm ahead of the President’s four full days of talks and leisure time at his golf courses on the Ayrshire coast and in Aberdeenshire.
Huge crowds of onlookers applauded his arrival while only a handful of protesters held up crude placards outside Turnberry.
The visit is expected to require a security operation as big as the arrangements for the late Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral in September 2022 – involving up to 6,000 officers – with taxpayers again facing a bill of more than £3million for policing his stay.
This trip has now commandeered almost a third of Police Scotland’s manpower to make sure things go smoothly and saw officers in high viz vests swarming over greens, tees, fairways and DC while snipers overlooked it from watchtowers.
Major protests are planned to take place in Aberdeen and Edinburgh on Saturday with officers from other forces brought in to bolster the Scots force.
Rounds were still being played but the golf was happening behind miles of newly erected 10ft fences with ultra-fine mesh to keep protesters away.
During the visit, Mr Trump will hold talks with the Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, First Minister John Swinney and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen.
Donald Trump is set to visit his golf courses in Scotland during his trip
Air Force One touched down at Prestwick Airport at around 8.30pm
On the Prestwick runway Mr Trump renewed his war against the expansion of wind farms, which he previously opposed off the coast of his Menie course in Aberdeenshire.
He told reporters: ‘I say two things to Europe: stop the windmills, you are ruining your countries.
‘I really mean it. It’s so sad, you fly over and you see these windmills all over the place ruining your beautiful fields and valleys and killing your birds and if they are stuck in your oceans ruining your oceans.
‘On immigration, you’d better get your act together or you are not going to have Europe any more.’
He said he will be meeting with ‘numerous executives’ and ‘a lot of people’ at Turnberry and Aberdeen, which he said ‘is the oil capital of Europe’.
He said his talks with Sir Keir will be a ‘celebration’ of the US/UK trade deal but played down the prospects of changes, saying ‘the deal is concluded’.
Mr Trump also talked up the prospect of his Turnberry resort hosting the Open and dismissing concerns that infrastructure must be improved first.
He said: ‘I don’t know, the best course anywhere in the world is Turnberry, the players all want to be at Turnberry, everybody wants to be at Turnberry so we will see how that works out.’
Donald Trump spoke to members of the press after his transatlantic flight
As he set off from the White House on Air Force One, President Trump spoke of his love for Scotland and said at the time that he wants to talk about improvements to the US/UK trade deal with Sir Keir.
After landing late at Prestwick, he travelled to Trump Turnberry.
Business leaders say the trip is a ‘huge opportunity’ to strengthen Scotland’s economic ties with the world’s biggest economy and can pave the way for detailed discussions on trade and tariffs.
Talking about his plans with Sir Keir before leaving the US, Mr Trump said they will be having dinner at Turnberry then travelling to Aberdeen, which he described as ‘the oil capital of Europe’ to have lunch.
He said: ‘We are going to have a good time, the Prime Minister and I get along very well.’
On his proposed meeting with Mr Swinney, he said: ‘I have a lot of love (for Scotland), my mother was born in Scotland.
‘The Scottish leader’s a good man, and I look forward to meeting him.’
Turning to an aide, he said: ‘That’s all set up, right?’
Huge crowds turned out to see the US President arrive in the UK
Air Force One was the centre of attention as it touched down in Scotland
Scotch whisky chiefs are desperate for the President to reduce or scrap the 10 per cent duty imposed on exports of malts and blends to the US.
Asked whether he will be doing any business deals with the UK, he said: ‘Yeah I’m going to meet with the Prime Minister right now, we’re going to be over there in about six hours, we’re meeting with the Prime Minister tonight.
‘We’re going to be talking about the trade deal that we made and maybe even improve it.’
He added that they will discuss ‘certain aspects that are good for both countries’ and also ‘do a little celebrating’.
Mr Trump was greeted by Labour’s Scottish Secretary Ian Murray at Turnberry, despite the Edinburgh South MP previously backing a House of Commons motion which called for his 2019 State visit to be cancelled and accused him of ‘misogynism, racism and xenophobia’.
The Chancellor Rachel Reeves yesterday said the President’s visit to Scotland is in the ‘national interest’.
She said: ‘It’s in Britain’s national interest to have strong relations with the US administration and as a result of both that long-term special relationship, but actually more importantly, the work that our Prime Minister Keir Starmer has done in building that relationship with President Trump has meant that we were the first country in the world to secure a trade deal.
‘That has a tangible benefit for people here in Scotland, whether it is people working in the Scotch whisky industry or people working in the defence sector like here at Rolls-Royce, that trade deal means lower tariffs than any country in the world on things that we send to the US.’
Business leaders hope the visit will pave the way for agreements which can boost the Scottish and UK economies.
Dr Liz Cameron, chief executive of the Scottish Chambers of Commerce, said: ‘There are £30 billion reasons why the USA matters to Scotland and President Trump’s visit is a fantastic platform to showcase the best of Scottish business on a global stage.
‘We have a President who understands business, is a deal maker, is personally and financially invested in our nation, and appreciates the value of our world class products and services.
‘That’s a strong basis for a special relationship and a huge opportunity to strengthen Scotland’s economic ties with the world’s biggest economy and our largest export market outside the EU.’
Ahead of his own talks with the President, Mr Swinney said the meeting will be an opportunity to ‘essentially speak out for Scotland’ on international issues such as Gaza, as well as trade and the increase of business from the United States in Scotland.
He said: ‘There are clearly also significant international issues upon which the people of Scotland have a view and want to have that view expressed by their First Minister.
‘That relates to the awfulness of the situation in Gaza and the unbearable human suffering that is going on in Gaza.
‘I want to make sure that those concerns and those views are expressed to the president of the United States.
‘We have that opportunity, and I intend to take that opportunity to make sure that Scotland’s voice is heard.’
Mr Swinney also urged all of those set to protest against the president’s visit to do so ‘peacefully and to do so within the law’.
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen will meet US President Donald Trump in Scotland on Sunday.
Ms von der Leyen made the announcement on X, saying: ‘Following a good call with @POTUS, we have agreed to meet in Scotland on Sunday to discuss transatlantic trade relations, and how we can keep them strong.’