By M10News International Desk|M10news|
US President Donald Trump has arrived in Scotland for a three-day visit marked by political warnings, golf outings, and growing protests across the country.
The 45th President landed at Prestwick Airport in Ayrshire on Friday evening, using his first UK appearance since returning to the White House in January to issue a stark warning about Europe’s immigration crisis.
Speaking to reporters moments after disembarking Air Force One, Mr Trump claimed Europe risked losing its identity unless leaders took immediate action on migration.
“On immigration, you better get your act together,” he said. “You’re not going to have Europe anymore, you’ve got to get your act together.”
He went on to suggest that the US had not received any undocumented migrants in the past month, before describing the European situation as a “horrible invasion”.
The comments come as Trump begins a weekend retreat at his Turnberry golf resort, where he is expected to spend much of Saturday before entering formal talks with political leaders.
Among those set to meet him are UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Scottish First Minister John Swinney and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Security has been stepped up across multiple sites, with Police Scotland launching a major operation to manage demonstrations expected near Trump’s locations.
The presidential motorcade, consisting of more than two dozen vehicles, drove past a small protest crowd outside Turnberry on Friday night.
By Saturday morning, demonstrations had intensified across Ayrshire and beyond, with protesters assembling near the US Consulate General in Edinburgh and in central Aberdeen.
Hundreds turned out in Aberdeen, including Scottish Green Party MSP Maggie Chapman, who addressed demonstrators gathered in the city.
“[Trump] believes that climate change isn’t real. He believes cutting services for the world’s most vulnerable is the right thing to do,” Chapman said. “We say no to all of those things — not in our name, never in our name.”
The former president’s entourage is expected to travel east to Aberdeen later in the visit to spend time at another Trump-owned course near Balmedie, on the North Sea coast.
Mr Trump was greeted at Prestwick Airport around 8:30pm by Scottish Secretary Ian Murray, who recounted their brief exchange on arrival.
“I said, ‘I hope you’re looking forward to a bit of downtime with some golf this weekend,’ and he said, ‘Yes,’” Mr Murray told reporters. “I joked about the wind making it competitive, and he smiled and said he was looking forward to it.”
Despite his focus on golf, Trump’s schedule includes a round of high-level discussions aimed at repairing strained trade relationships between the US and the EU.
Mr Trump is expected to meet with Ursula von der Leyen on Sunday to discuss renewed tariff agreements following sweeping US trade measures introduced in April.
Those measures saw several European exports hit with tariffs in an attempt by the White House to rebalance what Trump has repeatedly described as an “unfair” trading system.
Prime Minister Starmer is due to travel to Scotland on Monday for his first in-person meeting with the US president since taking office earlier this year.
Downing Street sources say the pair will focus on finalising the UK-US trade deal — one of the few areas where their priorities are believed to align.
Speaking on Friday evening, Mr Trump offered rare praise for the Labour leader. “I like your Prime Minister, he’s slightly more liberal than I am — as you probably heard — but he’s a good man. He got a trade deal done,” he said.
Trump also appeared to suggest the meeting with Mr Starmer would take place on Saturday evening, though sources close to both parties say the discussion is scheduled for Monday.
Trump’s visit, while officially private, has once again drawn strong political responses across the UK — highlighting the divisive nature of his presidency, both abroad and at home.
He has previously referred to Scotland as “a very special place”, and owns two of its most high-profile golf resorts, which he has visited regularly over the years.
Despite the controversy surrounding his politics, Trump remains a highly visible figure on the global stage — a fact reinforced by the scale of interest and security during his ongoing UK tour.
The former president is scheduled to return to the US on Tuesday, concluding a whirlwind visit blending diplomacy, recreation and defiance.
Editing by M10News International Desk | Contact: info@m10news.com
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