With Trump’s use of this visit to further his business interests already in the spotlight, Scotland’s first minister, John Swinney, faced significant criticism after announcing that his government was in talks to provide £180,000 of public funding for the Aberdeenshire resort as it hosts the 2025 Nexo championship on the DP World Tour next month.
Praising the “great craftsmen” of Ayrshire on Scotland’s west coast, he described spending “probably $100m [£74m]” on the hotel: “We did a very great job. You see how beautiful it is?