Donald Trump has officially opened a new golf course at his Aberdeenshire resort.
The US president teed off at the New Course in Menie in front of a crowd including golfers, the Scottish First Minister and the Scottish Labour leader.
Trump also made reference to late James Bond actor Sir Sean Connery’s reported support for his golf resort – even attempting to recreate the actor’s voice.
Just before hitting the first ball at the New Course, the US president told those gathered on a grandstand: “We started with a beautiful piece of land, but we made it much more beautiful.
“The area has really welcomed us. If you remember at the beginning there wasn’t quite a welcome, but it wasn’t bad.
“But with time they liked us more and more, now they love us and we love them.”
Trump added: “I look forward to playing it today.
“We’ll play it very quickly and then I go back to DC and we put out fires all over the world.”
At the ribbon-cutting ceremony, the president thanked his son Eric for his role in creating the new 18-hole course, adding: “This has been an unbelievable development.
“The land, they said it couldn’t get zoned, it was an impossibility.
“And Sean Connery said, ‘Let the bloody bloke build his golf course’.
“Once he said that everything came into line. (First Minister) John (Swinney) and I were talking about that last night.”
Construction of the new course in Menie began in 2023, with Trump and his son Eric breaking ground on the project.
Trump International Scotland claims the two courses will be the “greatest 36 holes in golf”.
Critics say the Trump developments in Scotland have not delivered as many jobs as promised and work at the Menie site has caused environmental damage.
Members of the media watched the opening ceremony from a grandstand, with music played beforehand including Roxanne, Thriller, and Surfin’ USA, plus music by the Script and Elvis.
The president has already played several rounds of golf during his Scottish trip, teeing off at his other resort in Turnberry, South Ayrshire, on Saturday, Sunday and Monday.
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