Work is under way on an offshore wind farm which Donald Trump says will spoil the view from his golf course.

The US presidential hopeful has fought a long-running legal battle over the Aberdeen Bay wind farm, which developer Vattenfall plans to build a few miles from his Trump International Golf Links.

But his argument that the Scottish Government acted illegally when it approved the 11-turbine scheme has been rejected three times by British judges.

Engineers are now surveying the seabed in Aberdeen Bay, with construction expected to begin by early 2018 pending a final investment decision by Vattenfall and the Aberdeen Renewable Energy Group.

The developers expect to fully finance the £230m scheme, which they say could power 68,000 homes.

Andy Paine, head of UK offshore wind development at Vattenfall, said: “The pioneering European Offshore Wind Deployment Centre (EOWDC) will help establish the north east as a global centre of innovation for the offshore wind industry. It is through test and demonstration of next generation products and services that offshore wind will become a low cost sector.

“The preparatory works being carried out helps keep the project on schedule ahead of an investment decision later this year and first power in 2018. The partners are currently working on the basis of fully financing the more than £230mn scheme and want to see the project come to fruition.”

Judges at the Court of Session first rejected Mr Trump's first challenge over the Scottish Government's decision in February 2014.

The property tycoon appealed against that decision in January 2015, but that appeal was turned down six months later. A third legal challenge at the UK's Supreme Court was rejected by judges in December.

Mr Trump said he plans take his fight to European courts.