US president Donald Trump arrives in Scotland for four-day go to

US president Donald Trump stated “it is nice to be in Scotland” as he landed for a four-day non-public go to.

After Air Drive One touched down at Prestwick Airport, simply earlier than 20:30, the US president was met by Scottish Secretary Ian Murray and Warren Stephens, US Ambassador to the UK.

Trump spoke to journalists earlier than the presidential motorcade left for his Turnberry resort, in South Ayrshire, the place he’s anticipated to play golf on Saturday.

Talking about Sir Keir Starmer, who he is because of meet on Monday, he stated: “I like your prime minister. He is barely extra liberal than I’m – as you in all probability heard – however he is man. He obtained a commerce deal completed.”

Trump added: “You understand, they have been engaged on this deal for 12 years, he obtained it completed – that is deal, it is a whole lot for the UK.”

The president earlier additionally described Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney as ” man” and stated he was trying ahead to assembly him.

Swinney has pledged to “basically communicate out for Scotland”.

The motorcade – which contained greater than two dozen autos – entered Trump’s Turnberry golf resort at about 21:30, flanked by Police Scotland autos and ambulance crews.

As he arrived on the luxurious lodge, the president’s car – generally known as The Beast – handed a small group of protesters.

Trump will keep at Turnberry over the weekend earlier than heading to his second property in Aberdeenshire, the place he’ll open a brand new 18-hole course at Menie.

He informed reporters a late James Bond star performed an important position within the challenge.

Trump stated: “Sean Connery helped get me the permits – if it weren’t for Sean Connery we would not have these nice programs.”

Trump is predicted to fulfill Starmer and Swinney on Monday whereas European Fee President Ursula von der Leyen confirmed on X that she is going to meet the president on Sunday to debate transatlantic commerce relations.

Trump will journey again to the US on Tuesday and is because of return to the UK for an official state go to in September.

Quite a few protests are anticipated to be held to coincide with the go to, together with demonstrations in Edinburgh and Aberdeen on Saturday.

A serious safety operation has been underneath method in South Ayrshire and Aberdeenshire this week, forward of the president’s journey.

Dozens of officers have additionally been drafted in to help Police Scotland, underneath mutual support preparations, from different UK forces.

Highway closures and diversions have been put in place in Turnberry, whereas a safety checkpoint outdoors the resort and a big fence has been erected across the course.

Quite a few police vans have additionally been seen on the Menie website.

Talking to journalists at Prestwick, Trump stated European international locations must “get your act collectively” on migration, and “cease the windmills”, referring to wind farms.

He stated: “I say two issues to Europe: Cease the windmills. You are ruining your international locations. I actually imply it, it is so unhappy.

“You fly over and also you see these windmills everywhere, ruining your stunning fields and valleys and killing your birds, and in the event that they’re caught within the ocean, ruining your oceans.

“Cease the windmills, and likewise, I imply, there’s a few issues I might say, however on immigration, you’d higher get your act collectively otherwise you’re not going to have Europe anymore.”

In 2019, his firm Trump Worldwide misplaced a long-running court docket battle to cease a serious wind energy growth being constructed within the North Sea off Aberdeen.

Trump argued that the challenge, which included 11 wind generators, would spoil the view from his golf course at Menie.

Trump additionally claimed that unlawful migration was an “invasion” which was “killing Europe”.

He stated: “Final month, we (the US) had no one getting into our nation. No one. Shut it down. And we took out lots of unhealthy those who obtained there with (former US president Joe) Biden.

“Biden was a complete stiff, and what he allowed to occur…. however you are permitting it to occur to your international locations, and you have to cease this horrible invasion that is taking place to Europe; many international locations in Europe.

“Some individuals, some leaders, haven’t let it occur, and so they’re not getting the right credit score they need to.

“I might identify them to you proper now, however I am not going to embarrass the opposite ones.

“However cease: this immigration is killing Europe.”

Quizzed on the newest developments with the Epstein information and Ghislaine Maxwell’s interview with the Division of Justice, Trump stated he had “actually nothing to say about it”.

“Lots of people are asking me about pardons clearly – that is no time to be speaking about pardons.”

He stated the media was “making a really large factor out of one thing that is not a giant factor”.

Earlier, Chancellor Rachel Reeves informed reporters the US president’s go to to Scotland was within the “nationwide curiosity”.

Talking throughout a go to to the Rolls-Royce manufacturing unit, close to Glasgow Airport, she stated: “The work that our Prime Minister Keir Starmer has completed in constructing that relationship with President Trump has meant that we had been the primary nation on the planet to safe a commerce deal.”

Reeves added that it had a “tangible profit” for individuals in Scotland, from the Scotch whisky business to the defence sector.”

Swinney stated his assembly with Trump would current a chance to “basically communicate out for Scotland” on points equivalent to commerce and the rise of enterprise from the US in Scotland.

The primary minister stated he would additionally increase “vital worldwide points” together with “the awfulness of the state of affairs in Gaza”.

And he urged these set to protest towards the president’s go to to take action “peacefully and to take action throughout the legislation”.

Visits to Scotland by sitting US presidents are uncommon.

Queen Elizabeth hosted Dwight D Eisenhower at Balmoral in Aberdeenshire in 1957.

George W Bush travelled to Gleneagles in Perthshire for a G8 summit in 2005 and Joe Biden attended a local weather convention in Glasgow in 2021.

The one different serving president to go to this century is Trump himself in 2018 when he was met by protesters together with one flying a paraglider low over Turnberry, breaching the air exclusion zone across the resort.

He returned in 2023, two-and-a-half years after he was defeated by Biden.

Trump does have a real hyperlink to Scotland.

His Gaelic-speaking mom, Mary Anne MacLeod, was born in 1912 on the island of Lewis in Scotland’s Outer Hebrides and left in the course of the Nice Melancholy for New York the place she married property developer Fred Trump.

Their son’s return to Scotland for 4 days this summer time comes forward of an official state go to from 17-19 September when the president and First Girl Melania Trump can be hosted by King Charles at Windsor Citadel in Berkshire.