Trump to visit Scotland for UK talks and golf resort stay

US President Donald Trump will travel to Scotland on July 25 for a visit combining diplomatic engagements with a personal passion — golf. 

The 79-year-old billionaire plans to stay at two of his family's seaside luxury golf resorts, Turnberry on the western coast and another in Aberdeen, a port city in eastern Scotland, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

Both properties are owned by the Trump family’s holding company.

As part of his visit, Trump is expected to meet with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, though the specifics of their meeting remain unconfirmed. The trip is scheduled to conclude on July 29.

Starmer is reportedly eager to get a clearer sense of Trump’s outlook on trade relations with the UK, particularly given Britain’s current exemption from the sweeping tariffs Trump has imposed on many other global economies. The US and UK reached a trade agreement in May, but earlier this month, Trump remarked that he hoped to “refine the trade deal that we've made,” causing unease in London.

Although more inclined toward football than golf, Starmer has managed to cultivate goodwill with Trump. During a recent visit to the White House, he reportedly won Trump over by delivering a letter from King Charles III, formally inviting him to the UK for a second state visit scheduled from September 17 to 19.

Trump’s visit to Scotland also comes at a time when he faces increasing scrutiny over his past association with Jeffrey Epstein, the deceased financier and convicted sex offender. Anger has mounted among Trump supporters over the administration's failure to release Epstein-related case files. Seeking to avoid the glare of controversy, the White House has notably excluded the Wall Street Journal from the press pool accompanying Trump this weekend. The decision followed a recent Journal article detailing a "bawdy" letter Trump allegedly sent to Epstein in 2003.

Trump, whose mother was Scottish, has long professed his affection for the country, though local sentiment toward him remains divided. Protests are planned in both Aberdeen and Edinburgh on Saturday in response to his visit, prompting a significant police presence.

Earlier this year, in March, Trump’s Turnberry resort was vandalised with the slogan “GAZA IS NOT 4 SALE” sprayed across the grass. The act was a response to Trump’s controversial suggestion that Palestinians could be relocated and the Gaza Strip redeveloped into luxury real estate.

Meanwhile, the Trump Organisation is preparing to launch a new golf course in Balmedie, Aberdeenshire, located in northeastern Scotland. The project has stirred opposition from local residents and environmental advocates.

The trip underscores how Trump continues to blur the boundaries between his presidential responsibilities and the promotion of his private business ventures. Since returning to office in January, Trump has faced renewed criticism over potential conflicts of interest.

In a report released in May, the US watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) highlighted 21 Trump-branded development projects planned internationally during his second term. The organisation also pointed out that ethics guidelines published by the Trump Organisation in January impose no restrictions on pursuing international business deals with private entities, marking a significant departure from the self-imposed ban on foreign projects during Trump’s first term in office.

By Tamilla Hasanova