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US President Donald Trump was scheduled to arrive in Scotland on Friday for a combination of diplomatic, business, and leisure activities, accompanied by a large security presence and planned protests near his family-owned golf resorts.
The president, whose mother hails from Scotland, is expected to divide his time between two coastal golf courses named after him, located in Turnberry on the southwestern coast and Aberdeen in the northeast.
Air Force One, transporting the president and White House staff, was expected to land around 8:20 PM local time (1920 GMT), with no public engagements planned for Saturday or Sunday, according to the White House.
Police Scotland is preparing for large-scale protests in Edinburgh and Aberdeen, as well as around his golf courses, and indicated that a “significant operation across the country over many days” will be underway.
A passionate golfer, Trump is likely to take a break from his time on the greens to meet with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at some point, though further information about that meeting has not been disclosed. Starmer is not known for his enthusiasm for golf like the 79-year-old Republican, and may have pressing issues to address.
In May, the US and the UK announced a trade agreement, but London is concerned about Trump’s intention to “refine” the arrangement.
The British leader, who has avoided the extremely high import/export tariffs that have burdened other nations, will strive to maintain a positive relationship with the unpredictable American president.
The international response to the Gaza conflict may also be discussed, as there is increasing pressure on Starmer to follow French President Emmanuel Macron in declaring the UK’s recognition of a State of Palestine.
Trump is scheduled to revisit the UK in September for a state visit—his second—invited by King Charles III, which is expected to be a grand occasion.
During a visit in 2023, Trump expressed a strong sense of belonging in Scotland, where his mother, Mary Anne MacLeod, grew up on the remote Isle of Lewis before emigrating to the US at the age of 18. However, this sentiment is not necessarily reciprocated by the people of Scotland.
Residents, environmental advocates, and elected officials have expressed their dissatisfaction regarding the Trump family’s development of a new golf course, set to open before his return to the UK on Tuesday.
Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney said that the country “shares a strong friendship with the United States that goes back centuries. He added that he would meet with Trump during the visit and stated that the US leader’s trip offered Scotland an opportunity to voice its concerns on significant issues, such as war and peace, justice, and democracy.
Trump has entered into the delicate conversation in the UK regarding green energy and achieving net zero, with Aberdeen being central to Scotland’s oil sector.
This trip to Scotland allows Trump to distance himself from the latest developments in the case of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, the affluent financier accused of sex trafficking who died in custody in 2019 before his trial.
