Donald Trump's new Aberdeen golf course branded 'laughable' by environmental campaigners

The former US President's new links golf course is scheduled to open in Aberdeenshire in 2025, but protestors have disputed claims that it would be one of the most "environmentally-friendly courses ever built".

Campaigners have describes Donald Trump's new Aberdeenshire links golf course's environmental credentials as "laughable" as it's set to open in 2025.

Trump International describes the new 18-hole championship links at Balmedie as "one of the most environmentally friendly and sustainable courses ever built." The business stated that "virtually all of the materials" used in the development of the new course, called MacLeod after Mr Trump's Lewis-born mother, were locally sourced and that it featured a sustainable irrigation system.

It further stated that "more than one million sprigs of native marram grass" had been planted and "six tonnes of marram seeds" had been scattered around the course, which includes sand dunes, heathland, and wetland areas.

Environmentalists, however, have questioned the course's green credentials, reports the i newspaper.

They point out that the work done to build the old links at Menie, to which the new MacLeod course is an extension, caused permanent damage to the Foveran Links sand dunes, prompting national nature agency Nature Scot to "de-notify" it as a site of special scientific interest (SSSI), in 2020.

In a 2019 statement following the announcement of the decision, Scottish Wildlife Trust chief executive Jo Pike said: “Building Trump International Golf Links on a unique dune system has destroyed the dynamic nature that made it special. It is therefore wholly unsurprising that the area will lose its SSSI status.”

Bob Ward, policy director of the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at the London School of Economics, told the i newspaper on Saturday that the idea of building another 18-hole course next to the existing one could be environmentally friendly was "laughable" and "complete nonsense".

He told the newspaper: “The damage is severe and irreparable, so there is no way they can credibly make that claim.”

Professor Jim Hansom, a geomorphologist at the University of Glasgow, added that “biblical” quantities of sand had been moved to build the first course, which had destroyed the “underlying structure” of the soil.

Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community!

Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today.

You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland.

No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team.

All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in!

If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'.

We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like.

To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.

If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.

Naturalists have also expressed concern about the course's possible impact on nearby wildlife, including otters, deer, badgers, and geese, as well as insects and other invertebrates dwelling in the sand.

A spokesman for Trump International Golf Links, Scotland said: “Not only are we creating the greatest 36 holes of golf at our resort in Aberdeenshire, providing much-valued local employment and an outstanding leisure destination, our environmental contribution is second to none.

“We satisfied all the requirements of national and regional regulatory authorities, and in many instances surpassed them. We brought in the very best ecologists, geomorphologists and environmental scientists to ensure the courses work seamlessly within the landscape.

“Both courses were designed and built with the utmost respect for the unique environmental features of the site and its long-term maintenance and sustainability. Protecting and enhancing the land’s natural features lies at the heart of the design and construction methodology.

“Sadly, there are people who cannot face up to the reality of the excellence of what has been achieved.”

Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond. Sign up to our daily newsletter.

Story SavedYou can find this story in  My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.