Trump's Scotland Saga - The Latest

Filed in archive Golf News on May 19, 2008

The war of words continues between Donald Trump's Trump International Golf and parties opposing his Scottish project on environmentally sensitive lands in the Scottish northeast.

The Scottish Parliament intends to hold a public inquiry into the mega-project which has been a PR nightmare for Trump since it was rejected by the planning committee of the local Aberdeenshire Council.

The Donald has remained stubbornly insistent that his plans will do no irreparable harm to the local environment.

But there are signs that he's willing to reconsider, at least a little.

However, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds Scotland and the Scottish wildlife Trust don't find much comfort in the proposed changes.

They have consulted a course architect who assures them a championship course can be laid out and built away from the sensitive lands in question.

Of course, that doesn't fly with the Trump people and there's no surprise in that. Trump has his own architects and he's understandably going to side with their design which allows Trump's real estate development talents their full rein.

There is a typical "he said, she said" attitude as both parties trade charges of failing to communicate with the other side.

If there's anything for Trump to learn in this it's this: never assume that the Trump name, Trump political connections and Trump money will automatically pave the way.

The Donald is learning that lesson the hard way.