Police confirm preparations for Donald Trump visit to Scotland
Possible arrival of US President later this month will see a ‘significant policing operation’
Police Scotland has confirmed it is preparing for a possible visit by Donald Trump later this month, during which the US President is expected to travel to his Aberdeenshire golf resort.
The force said planning is “under way” for Mr Trump’s first trip to Scotland since being elected for a second term. The Scottish Government said First Minister John Swinney was briefed on the preparations on Tuesday evening.
Opposition politicians warned previous visits by Mr Trump have cost the taxpayer millions due to the scale of the policing operation.
Rumours have swirled for some time that the President will visit Scotland this year to coincide with the opening of a second course at the golf resort he owns at Menie in Aberdeenshire.
It was previously reported that security forces are expecting Mr Trump to fly into Glasgow Prestwick airport - the nearest terminal to his Trump Turnberry course in Ayrshire - on Air Force One in the final fortnight of July.
From there, he could visit Turnberry, which has been targeted by vandals in recent months, before travelling to Trump International in Aberdeenshire, where the 18-hole MacLeod course - named after his Lewis-born mother, Mary - opens this summer.
There is yet to be a final confirmation of a date for any visit. However, it is not possible to book a room at Turnberry between July 24 and July 28, nor at Trump International around the same time.
Assistant Chief Constable Emma Bond said: "Planning is under way for a potential visit to Scotland later this month by the President of the United States. While official confirmation has not yet been made, it is important that we prepare in advance for what would be a significant policing operation."
Sky News reported the visit could see up to 5,000 police officers required to work 12-hour shifts.
A Scottish Government spokeswoman said it has been “working collaboratively with the UK Government to support Police Scotland preparations for a potential visit to Scotland by the President of the United States”.
She added: “The First Minister was briefed last night on policing preparations.”
The Scotsman reported in April that Aberdeen Airport had also been put on standby to expect a flight carrying the US President. Mr Trump is thought likely to arrive aboard the presidential helicopter Marine One, having transferred from Air Force One.
Mr Trump is not expected to meet King Charles during the upcoming trip, nor travel to London, but a full state visit is still due to take place in September.
A letter from the King hand-delivered to the White House by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer earlier this year had originally proposed a private meeting with Mr Trump to discuss details of the state visit at either Dumfries House or Balmoral in Scotland.
Last month, a Buckingham Palace aide told the BBC: "His Majesty has known President Trump for many years and looks forward to hosting him and the First Lady later this year.”
In February, SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn said the state visit should be revoked following Mr Trump’s showdown with Ukraine's President Zelensky in the Oval Office. “Starmer had better get back up off his knees and revoke that offer of a state visit,” he wrote on social media.
Mr Trump previously visited Scotland while President in 2018, when he was met by protesters as he played golf at Turnberry. A paragliding Greenpeace protester even flew past the presidential party at the hotel, defying a £5 million security operation.
Thousands of marchers also took to the streets of Edinburgh, and it is likely any visit in the coming weeks will spark similar protests. Mr Trump last visited Scotland in 2023, when he broke ground on the MacLeod course with his son Eric.
Earlier this year, the Scottish Green Party co-leader Patrick Harvie said the Scottish Government should play no part in welcoming Mr Trump.
He said: “I urge the First Minister and his colleagues to turn down any meeting requests while he is here. Political relationships with other countries are important, but those relationships should be focused on those who share civilised values and respect for basic democratic norms.”
Last night, Mr Harvie added: “I am urging the SNP Government to make it clear that Trump is not welcome in Scotland. Because I am sure that on the streets of Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and anywhere else he may go, the people of Scotland will make it clear that Donald Trump is not welcome here.”
Liberal Democrat Scottish affairs spokeswoman Christine Jardine said: "Donald Trump's previous visits have cost us millions in policing costs. They must have been among the most expensive rounds of golf in history. I hope that this time Police Scotland will not be left out of pocket.
“Donald Trump returning to the White House has been deeply worrying for millions of people in the UK and around the world. With a President who promises trade wars, undermines NATO and praises Vladimir Putin, the threats to our national security and our economy are clear.
“While I don’t expect he will get a warm reception from the Scottish public, it’s clear that it is in our national interest to use this opportunity to try to alleviate the threat that Trump’s tariffs pose to Scottish businesses.
“Keir Starmer will also need to extract clear commitments that President Trump will stand with Ukraine and ensure that their brave fighting men and women are given the tools they need to fend off Vladimir Putin’s barbarism.”
Stock prices in London closed mostly lower last night, after yesterday saw investors taking stock of Mr Trump’s latest tariff-related moves.
Earlier in the week, Mr Trump announced a new August 1 deadline for negotiations on tariffs, insisted that “No extensions will be granted”, and sent new rates to various trading partners.
He also said he plans to impose a 50 per cent tariff on copper, floated the possibility of a “very, very high rate, like 200 per cent” levy on pharmaceuticals, and ordered probes into imports of lumber, semiconductors and critical minerals.
Meanwhile, the Bank of England warned trade tariffs could increase the risk of some businesses falling behind on loans, while a high proportion of the UK workforce is in sectors more exposed to global shocks.
The Bank’s Financial Policy Committee there was a high degree of unpredictability about how global trade will evolve, with Mr Trump hiking tariff rates in April but negotiations with other countries over possible trade deals ongoing.
Conflict in the Middle East has also raised the risk of energy prices spiking, particularly if the supply of oil and gas were disrupted, it found.
This could particularly impact businesses that are more reliant on financing linked to global financial markets, which have faced turbulence in recent months.
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