President Trump Arrives Scotland for Trade Talks, Golf Tour
President Donald Trump is expected to arrive in Scotland today for a four-day working visit that combines high-level trade discussions with personal business engagements at his golf properties in Turnberry and Aberdeen.
The visit comes as officials on both sides of the Atlantic move to fine-tune a new UK–US trade agreement signed in June. President Trump is scheduled to meet British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Aberdeen to revisit the terms of the deal, with particular focus on tariff adjustments affecting steel, aluminium, and Scotch whisky.
Scotland’s First Minister, John Swinney, is also expected to hold talks with the US leader on boosting Scottish exports. Scotch whisky exports to the United States totalled over £970 million last year, making the sector one of Scotland’s largest foreign exchange earners.
Trump is also scheduled to tour his Scottish business interests, including Trump Turnberry in South Ayrshire and the Trump International Golf Links in Aberdeenshire. A new 18-hole course on the Aberdeen estate named after his late mother, Mary Anne MacLeod Trump, is expected to be launched in August.
While UK officials have described the visit as private, it is viewed in diplomatic circles as part of preparations for Trump’s state visit to the United Kingdom scheduled for September 17 to 19, when he will meet with King Charles III at Windsor Castle.
Security has been heightened across key locations, with more than 6,000 police officers deployed. Aerial patrols, road closures, and no-fly zones have been implemented in anticipation of planned protests by civil rights and environmental groups.
Demonstrations are expected in Aberdeen, Turnberry, and Edinburgh, with organisations such as Stop Trump Scotland confirming participation.
The Scottish Government said it welcomes “constructive dialogue” on trade and investment, especially in areas where Scotland holds comparative advantage.
President Trump last visited Scotland in 2023. His mother was born in the Isle of Lewis, Outer Hebrides, strengthening his ancestral and emotional ties to the region.
