Trump Will Visit Scotland, Mother’s Homeland, Talk Trade with Starmer/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ President Donald Trump’s trip to Scotland this week revisits his deep yet complicated ties to the country of his mother’s birth. The visit includes stops at both his Scottish golf resorts and meetings with UK leaders, amid planned protests. Trump’s decades-long relationship with Scotland is marked by both personal roots and political tensions.
Trump’s Scotland Trip + Quick Looks
- Trump arrives in Scotland to visit family-linked properties
- His mother, Mary Anne MacLeod, was born on Isle of Lewis
- Trip includes both Turnberry and Aberdeen golf resorts
- Scottish and UK leaders scheduled to meet with Trump
- Local opposition groups plan protests during the visit
- Trump’s golf course developments have long drawn controversy
- Visit precedes formal UK state visit with King Charles III
Trump Will Visit Scotland, Mother’s Homeland, Talk Trade with Starmer
Deep Look
President Donald Trump returns to Scotland this week, making a politically sensitive and personally symbolic journey to the country of his late mother’s birth. Though framed as a kind of homecoming, his reception is expected to reflect the complex nature of his long-standing relationship with Scotland — one shaped by both heritage and controversy.
The trip, which begins Friday, will include visits to his two Scottish golf resorts: Trump Turnberry on the west coast and Trump International Golf Links near Aberdeen. While both properties highlight Trump’s business footprint in Scotland, they have also served as focal points for years of local dissent, environmental pushback, and economic debate.
Trump’s late mother, Mary Anne MacLeod, was born in 1912 in a modest home near Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis. She was raised in a Gaelic-speaking family and emigrated to New York in 1930, later marrying Fred C. Trump in 1936. Trump has spoken fondly of his Scottish roots, once saying, “Stornoway — that’s serious Scotland.” During a 2008 visit, he briefly stepped inside the house where his mother was born. Despite this personal connection, many Scots have not embraced Trump’s association with their national identity.
In Turnberry, residents remain divided. Some, like Patricia Sloan, have distanced themselves from the resort since Trump purchased it in 2014.
“I’m not proud that he has Scottish heritage,” she said, reflecting a broader unease among locals who see his presence as polarizing. Others, like Louise Robertson, acknowledge the economic benefits he brought by restoring the historic hotel and lighthouse, even while expressing reservations about his overall legacy.
Much of Trump’s history in Scotland is entwined with his efforts to develop luxury golf courses. His first major project — the Trump International Scotland resort near Aberdeen — was announced in 2006 and launched with support from the Scottish government. However, the plan drew fierce opposition from environmental groups and residents. The land, known for its sand dunes and rare wildlife habitats, became a battleground between development and conservation.
One local, fisherman Michael Forbes, famously refused to sell his land to Trump despite a substantial offer. His refusal turned him into a folk hero and further fueled the project’s controversy.
“Possibly, had my mother not been born in Scotland, I probably wouldn’t have started it,” Trump admitted during the dispute in 2008.
Though the Aberdeen course eventually opened in 2012, larger development goals — such as a 450-room hotel and 500 homes — remain unrealized. Trump has now announced a second 18-hole course at the property, to be named the MacLeod Course, in honor of his mother.
The Turnberry course, purchased by Trump in 2014, has seen fewer public disputes. Trump invested heavily in its renovation, making a bid to return the British Open to the site for the first time since 2009. But the R&A, which organizes the Open, has cited logistical challenges related to infrastructure as reasons for the delay.
Trump’s visit this week also carries diplomatic implications. He is scheduled to meet Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney, who has previously criticized the president and supported Kamala Harris in the last U.S. election. Swinney, despite political differences, said meeting with Trump serves Scotland’s broader interests. Meanwhile, activist group Stop Trump Scotland has organized protests in Aberdeen, urging people to “show Trump exactly what we think of him in Scotland.”
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is also expected to meet Trump during the trip. The two leaders, despite ideological differences, have publicly expressed mutual respect. Trump recently said of Starmer, “I really like the prime minister a lot, even though he’s a liberal.” They are likely to discuss trade and steel tariffs during their talks.
Although Trump is set to return to the UK later this year for a formal state visit hosted by King Charles III, this week’s stop in Scotland centers on his personal legacy, controversial business interests, and deep cultural ties. For many in Scotland, however, the visit remains emblematic of a larger tension — between honoring family roots and confronting a divisive political figure.
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