Donald Trump Scotland visit: How the future looks for Donald Trump's business empire in Scotland

For Nic Oldham, general manager of Trump Turnberry, the trip will be an opportunity to showcase the work that has been carried at the South Ayrshire resort, both on its historic links courses and in the hotel and wider accommodation offerings.

That includes extensive remodelling of swathes of the famous Ailsa course, and the addition of a whisky tasting roon, games room, boutique cinema, and - what else - a Trump store - within the hotel, all of which have opened in recent months.

“The team are always excited to see the Trump family members as they have done so much for the property and local economy and continue to invest,” Mr Oldham told The Scotsman.

It is two decades since former president Mr Trump incorporated his first company in Scotland.

The country is a place he has called “home,” and despite the fact his affection is rarely reciprocated, the 78 year-old’s footprint in the nation where his mother was born and raised is well-established and slowly expanding. 

While political commitments ensure that Mr Trump himself is an infrequent visitor, the responsibility for overseeing his two Scottish resorts - ultimately owned by a Florida-based revocable trust in Mr Trump’s name - has fallen to his adult sons, alongside a coterie of trusted executives. Together, they are pursuing significant developments and remodelling work, with millions of pounds of investments planned.

A series of investments totalling around £4 million are planned for the flagship Trump Turnberry, even though the resort’s parent company, Golf Recreation Scotland, owes nearly £124m to other Trump-controlled entities.

At the Trump Organisation’s flagship resort, work has been carried over the past year to bolster its offering for well-heeled American golfers, who comprise the majority of its customers. After enduring long-standing losses under the former US president’s ownership, the Turnberry property has turned two successive years of annual profits, and there are myriad plans afoot, with £1.8m earmarked for ongoing renovations of Turnberry’s stately 118 year-old hotel.

All the while, the drive to increase occupancy, especially at the resort’s cluster of self-catering villas, remains pressing, and the aim of those in charge is to generate annual revenues of around £40m - a bold ambition given the current figure stands at £21m. Turnberry is also wooing corporate custom, with the French fashion house, Dior, hosting a major conference at the property last autumn. 

Another key goal remains unchanged: to secure the return of golf’s Open Championship. Turnberry’s Ailsa links is regarded as one of the finest courses anywhere in the world, yet 15 years have passed since it hosted the prestigious tournament. There are multiple reasons for that. Around 120,000 spectators descended on Turnberry in 2009, but nowadays, The Open’s attendance figures exceed the quarter of a million mark; Turnberry’s remote location and challenging transport infrastructure means it is unlikely to ever emulate such numbers. 

Subscribe today to the Scotsman’s daily newsletter

Then there is Mr Trump himself. The R&A has said it has no plans to stage any of its championships at Turnberry, although its stance has softened since a change in CEO. A remaining concern alongside the logistical problems is that the focus of any gathering would not be on the tournament, the players, or even the course, but Turnberry’s notorious owner. 

Even so, a £1m “upgrade” of the Ailsa course has beenc carried out to shift parts of the links closer to the Firth of Clyde coastline. The project was overseen by the renowned golf course architect, Martin Ebert, and according to one planning consultancy involved, was designed to “facilitate the return of The Open Championship.”

Even bigger plans for the resort may or may not be revisited. In 2022, planning officials at the Scottish Government rejected Turnberry’s calls for a change to planning policies that would have made it easier for the firm to pursue an expansion unprecedented in the property’s history, with 120 acres of farmland given over to hundreds of “high end” private houses, retirement villas, and apartments as part of a “coastal retreat.” 

At the time, Sarah Malone, executive vice-president of Trump International Scotland in Aberdeenshire, said the Trump Organisation would make a formal application to develop the site “in due course.”

In the north east, where the Trump International Scotland resort has hosted the likes of the Staysure PGA Seniors Championship, investment is also on the agenda. A new links course named after Mr Trump’s mother, Mary, is scheduled to be officially opened during Mr Trump’s visit, with Ms Malone promising the “greatest 36 holes in golf.”

The Balmedie company, which has run up losses for 11 consecutive years and has received loans totalling more than £40m from Mr Trump, also received planning permission six years ago to create as many as 500 houses and 50 holiday homes at the Menie estate. Ms Malone said it had always been the case that any development would be “phased,” adding that the business remains “fully committed” to its long-term plans. 

Neither the Trump Organisation nor its Scottish subsidiaries have any other development plans in the pipeline - or at least, none that have been announced publicly. But if history is any guide, do not rule out the prospect of a new Scottish outpost for the Trump business empire. As revealed by The Scotsman, the Trump Organisation previously attempted to purchase Hamilton Hall, the grand red sandstone building overlooking the 18th green at the Old Course in St Andrews - arguably the most famous locale in all of world golf. The plans were kiboshed after financiers deemed the deal “too risky.”