Donald Trump feels 'betrayed' by Scotland over wind turbine promises

Donald Trump says he feels "betrayed" by Scotland over wind turbine policy and has warned that other investors will shun the country.

First Minister Alex Salmond has hit back, in the latest in the pair's war of words, and has told the US tycoon that just because he has invested in the country, it does not mean he owns it.

The exchange comes the day before Mr Trump is due to appear before a parliamentary committee to talk about Scotland's renewable energy targets.

Speaking at Menie Estate in Aberdeenshire, where he is building a luxury golf resort, Mr Trump said: "I feel like I've been betrayed by the Scottish Government.

"I've invested tens of millions of pounds and I've built a magnificent course, even better than I said I was going to do.

"I don't want to see something so beautiful destroyed with ugly, industrial turbines."

Mr Trump declined to say who had given him assaurances that wind turbines would not be an issue for his golf resort, but said that would be revealed in his evidence to the committee.

He was also asked about a survey which revealed that four out of five people would not change their mind about where to holiday in the UK because of wind turbines.

The same research, carried out for VisitScotland, also found that more than half of people did not agree that turbines spoil the look of the UK or Scottish countryside.

Mr Trump said: "I don't believe that poll at all.

"That poll, I don't believe, has any validity. Everybody I speak to is totally against it.

"It was put out by a couple of people who wanted to see this happen.

"I think that wind farms are going to absolutely destroy Scotland. If you look at the ugliness of these things, against one of the most beautiful coastlines in the world, I think Scotland will be in very, very big trouble.

"My message is very simple, Scotland is a very beautiful place. Don't destroy the beauty and don't destroy the tourism industry.

"The tourist industry in Scotland will suffer. The jobs in Scotland will suffer."

Mr Trump claimed that the renewable energy industry was not creating new jobs in Scotland, but in China.

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