And then a little bit of Sh*ty icing on the cake 🙄

Well done Robert Gordons ,excellent choice .

The construction phase is one thing, obviously unlikely to use local for, but the ongoing site will need hundreds of employees. Its not just a golf course, its a small village, massive hotel etc etc.

That should provide a lot of jobs for the locals. Then you have the influx of visitors to the area/airport, taxis, local spending and its a huge boost to the area.

I’m not saying I agree with it, but for me that is why it has been allowed to happen.

huge investment in an area which is a employment wasteland? That is why is has gone ahead?

Never been to Aberdeen then

…but surely the overiding issue was the huge investment in an area which is a employment wasteland?

eh? You do know that Aberdeen is the main center for North Sea oil and gas industries and is one of the most prosperous areas in the UK?. You do also know that hotel and golf resort work provide a few jobs mostly at or around minimum wage.
Planning permission was originally refused by Aberdeen council, as the creation of a handful of poorly paid jobs in the long term does not outweigh the protection of a SSSI. Salmond then weighed in and over-ruled the council, no doubt seeing the $$$$$ associated with Trump. At the time he claimed this was to show the world that Scotland was “open for business” which most people take to mean as “for sale”.
FWIW – my step daughter lives in Aberdeen and I was there for several years. All the opinion I know of is solidly anti_Trump and only those who stand to gain (eg Stewart Milne) are pro.

That should provide a lot of jobs for the locals. Then you have the influx of visitors to the area/airport, taxis, local spending and its a huge boost to the area.

Sorry but that’s just wrong on so many levels. Aberdeen and the surrounding areas has one of the lowest levels of unemployment in the UK and isn’t exactly short of golf courses either. It’s not a “small village” that’s planned it’s housing estate with little or no infrastructure just houses that even up here will be too expensive for most people to afford. Given the location of this course it is highly unlikely that there would be much local spending either.

Salmond should hang his head in shame

I was talking to my Dad this morning (still lives in Aberdeen) and apparently Salmond and Trump aren’t talking any more. Rattle out of pram re wind farm or something.

Rockape63

Have to take issue with you on those points. Why not local for the constuction? There is certainly the expertise and as for employment, yes there will be some but I suspect, as is the case with construction, it will be the cheapest labour he can find ie. immigrant workers.

You obviously haven’t been to, or know very much about Aberdeen. It’s as far removed from being an employment wasteland as you could possibly get and there are numerous areas of Scotland where an investment opportunity such as this would have been more appropriate and NOT SSI. It is also one of the few areas where there are enough people with enough money to buy the houses he proposes to build and which will provide a huge immediate influx of cash but very little in terms of employment, or doing anything for the local economy.

Edit: beaten to it by ^^

Okay, its not an employment wasteland…..I take that back.

I was trying to come up with possible reasons why it was pushed through….clearly it is even more of an outrage than appears to the outsider then.

Being in league with this chap Stewart Milne wiki won’t have harmed his chances as there appears to be very few problems with planning permission for his many other developments.

this sums him up.

Trump has also said that his course will be the best inthe world and he would be quite happy for all other local courses to lose business and close. If he was right, you would then expect to see a transfer of employees and a net creation of very few ‘new’ jobs.

Destruction of a SSI and potential use of CPO’s to help with profit generation. Disgusting.

The P&J and Evening Express would normally have Trump related stuff all over their front pages, especially if UK wide telly has mentioned North East Scotland, but they seem awfully quiet about this.

Though today they do have a piece on some “lucky winners” who got a shottie at Trumpton Links.

Funny that.

As a golfer, I’d normally be gagging to play such a course…..but with at least 25 other courses that I’d like to play in Scotland as yet unplayed, it will be very easy for me to boycott it.

I’m sure you know already but starting from North Berwick you can virtually work your way up the entire east coast and play some of the best natural courses in the world.

Missing the man made (presumably sanitised to cater for crap corporate golfers and American tourists) Trumpton Links is no loss 😉

Its been done before

This is a stunning development on the West coast of Ireland. The place was bought by the Yanks who own Kiawah Island, they brought in Greg Norman and turned an unspoilt dune covered bay into a corporate golf centre.

Ive actually been there and its been nicely done, but part of me would like these stunning environments to stay au natural. We have enough!

Rockape

You’re doing something wrong with your links – they don’t work!

He’s putting 2 x http: in the URLs

I found the whole programme really sad viewing.

I had this deluded idea that the law and powers that be would come to the aid of the locals who were being bullied and suffering from shocking treatment.

Instead the police appeared to be on the payroll, the media turned a blind eye and no-one in a position of power appeared willing or interested to do anything.

You’re doing something wrong with your links

yeah ruining them so people can play some stupid game on them instead of just leaving them alone for everyone to enjoy

I had this deluded idea that the law and powers that be would come to the aid of the locals who were being bullied and suffering from shocking treatment.

It’s been news here for years, yet with every article that’s appeared in the press, people have said “that can’t be right”, yet still it went (and is still going) on.

Doonbeg Lodge

Edit: LOL at BBSB – chapeau

how’s this?

Not sure if I have said this yet, but I am really depressed by this whole thing.

SSSI destroyed, locals railroaded, the police in the payrol of Trump, the government acting like he is God.

I don’t understand why more powerful journalists were not involved with more money and clout that wouldn’t get pushed about by Trump. Where is Murdoch when you need him…

Just saw this on twitter;

“@realDonaldTrump I will be live tweeting during the debate tonight.”

to which some wag has added;

“One handed during Romney close-ups”

Really saddened to see Grampian police’s involvement in this,certainly didn’t look impartial
Trump is a tyrant with a flock of seagulls hairdo who has the cheek to refer to peoples homes as an eyesore!!
his bullying tactics are well known were the SNP’s to blinkered with the cash to see what was going on ?
shame on you Alex Salmond youve done the party a diservice on this matter

Where is Murdoch when you need him.

probably having drinks with Donald.

http://www.eveningexpress.co.uk/Article.aspx/2981684

THE Trump Organisation today blasted a decision to show a damning documentary about its Menie Estate golf course near Aberdeen.
Donald Trump’s team has consulted lawyers about You’ve Been Trumped, which they branded biased, and a complaint is to be registered with both the BBC Trust and media watchdog Ofcom.
Sarah Malone, executive vice-president of Trump International Golf Links, Scotland, claimed the film, made by Anthony Baxter, was “not a documentary” but “a piece of propaganda”.
Mr Baxter and the BBC were unavailable for comment.

Shame on Salmond, Grampian Police, Aberdeenshire Council and the local press. I am only sorry that I haven’t done anything about this till now and will investigate what options are left.

A further very sad thing about this is that I don’t beleive it is even financially viable. Having worked in the Scottish golf and luxury hotel market I have seen over the years that St Andrew’s has struggled to achieve the year round financial success it’s heritage and facilities/scenery would suggest, there are 2 five star hotels in the area which over a very long period of time have always had difficulties. Factor in Gleneagles, which may not have the best of courses but has the best of luxury hotel facilities and is only 45 mins from Edinburgh/Glasgow, why would you bother going all the extra way up to Aberdeen? There is also another huge 5 star resort being developed as we speak adjacent to Gleneagles. The project is a sham and unlikley to reach is proposed potential and that may be the only mitigating factor in this embarrassing shambles.

And linking back to that old STW favourite – Scottish Independence. I can’t help wondering if this is Fat Eck’s vision of an independent Scotland – free bus rides for pensioners funded by selling off Scotland to the highest bidder with a free taxpayer-funded private police force, planning permission for anything and media collusion thrown in.

why would you bother going all the extra way up to Aberdeen

Good question and although I haven’t lived in Aberdeen for quite a few years now, I would imagine that most of the anticipated income would be oil related via corporate membership etc. and NOT, as Trump has tried to make out, from tourism with the additional local spend you would expect from that. Yet another red herring to get his way I believe.

There are only a few months of the year where golf is attractive to tourists and anyone who has played links golf in the area will know what I mean. It can be pretty bleak out there, even in the height of summer!

Watched this over two days and share most of the sympathies expressed. Appalling harassment and the police office really should be ashamed of himself. I would guess that he was a local.

Interesting comments on St Andrews as IMO the links management do an outstanding job and maximising the benefit to the local population. Brilliant investment in upgrading facilities around the courses and investing in a new course. Whether the other projects (with different motivation) are/will be as successful remains to be seen. FWIW, all the people working at Kingbarns were locals.

This was an appalling example of bullying but I wonder how different this is from most developments – backhanders, harassment, abuse of environment etc. More high profile for sure, but unique – I sadly doubt it.

So dear old Mr salmon can count on both Trump and Fred the Shred as his friends and role models. Class!

Where is Murdoch when you need him.

probably having drinks with Donald.

Indeed. Or maybe with Alex

you really do dislike him dont you

Immensely! I do grudgingly admire him for undisputedely being the most intelligent man in British politics.

But he’s pulled a right scam, and seems to be getting away with it unchallenged. He manages to pull a few moves with free prescriptions etc to make him seem like some socialist man of the people, and unbelievably some people seem to be buying it!

However, if you delve a little deeper, he’s as complicit with Murdoch as Jeremy Hunt. And, as noted, he’s in bed with the likes of Trump, Fred Goodwin etc. And if given any real power, his policies would be even more banker/big business friendly than George Osbournes

Just scraping my jaw off the ground after watching that documentary. Depressing and uplifting, though not quite in equal measures. Very very depressing how those police officers behaved. One (sadly) expects it of politicians and corporates, but not the local constable.

Just watched this program on iplayer and have to say it really boiled my piss and made me livid with anger, the police, the politicians, the construction workers should all have to answer for this destruction of the land and the way the local residents were treated with utter contempt was despicable. So much for a free Scotland eh?, it’s free unless you have a boil in the bag billionaire (is he really?, or is that all smoke n’ mirrors?) standing on a hillside saying “i want that bit, that bit, and that bit over there as well”. Alex Salmond and the SNP have just lost my vote, i wonder if i’ll get a reply to the email i’ve rattled off to him?, i doubt it so i’d better send him a note stapled to the back of my voter registration form that has been defaced….That’s it for me – i’m out for good!.

Yeah just rattled off an email to eck too. Will be looking for a “none of the above” option on the next ballot paper.

Very very depressing how those police officers behaved. One (sadly) expects it of politicians and corporates, but not the local constable.

Sadly, I do expect exactly that kind of behaviour from local police – I’ve heard of, and experienced first hand, far too many cases where police act in the interests of those with most money.

Sow the land with salt.
Or Paraquat.

I’ve also been on the receiving end of quite a few run-ins with over zealous police officers in the past due to nothing on my part at-all apart from my not accepting any cheek or verbal abuse from them in the slightest which immediately gets their hackles raised but i guess you have to expect that from any person who don’s a uniform and enjoys strutting about full of self importance, i’ve also experienced quite a few random pulls whilst driving my car this year up and down the country, purely due to the type and age of the car i run despite it being fully restored/insured/mot’d etc and i never run with less than 4mm of tread on the tyres.
This started to piss me off to such an extent that i, or rather my lawyer put in an official complaint to my local police headquarters. Now when i’m stopped in my car i get out and immediately inform them i am recording all proceedings and before they can open their mouths i ask for their names, police numbers and reason for being pulled over whilst i note down the time and numberplate and identifying number of their vehicle – if they say it’s just a random stop to check my details or the car over i inform them that is not a valid reason to impede my journey and i mention that my lawyer has lodged an official complaint regarding the amount of times i have been previously stopped, by this point they usually make a subtle smart arse or underhand comment and let me on my way. I’ve never had points on my licence in 23 yrs driving, never committed a driving offence, never been done for speeding and never been prosecuted for any driving offence but i have owned and drove old cars which for some reason is a good enough reason to get pulled over.

Not all officers are arseholes though, I do know a couple of decent/good police officers who choose not to socialise with the rest of their crowd if they can help it, some of the tales they’ve mentioned about what goes on on a routine basis would make your blood boil but they keep as far away from the police scene as possible – they freely admit they’re in it for the money and pension, as soon as they’re able they’re both leaving, according to them the majority of the officers they work with are a bunch of lying wan k ers who’ll say anything to cover their arses or their colleagues arses if needed.

Interestingly, Ive been reading some accounts from people in the area, who actually are behind the venture and suggest that most people in the area are too.

I suppose if you look at the documentary from a different angle, you could say that it is completely stacked up against the venture and on the side of the locals who were being targeted. Lets face it the protesters numbered about 7 plus a couple of dogs, so the feelings locally can’t have been much against it.