The Donald's Highland Fling

Donald Trump is trying to develop a $2 billion golf resort in Scotland, but so far he has found himself in quite a sand trap.

Trump wants to convert an untouched stretch of sand dunes on Scotland's northeast coast into a pair of 18-hole courses, a 450-bedroom hotel, 950 vacation homes, 36 golf villas, and 500 upscale homes.

The trouble is that construction could disrupt some current inhabitants of the area: seven species of endangered rare birds.

The avian snag is just the latest obstacle for Trump International Golf Links, which has already encountered opposition among the featherless occupants of the nearby village of Balmedie.

Locals complain that Trump's huge development will prevent public usage of the picturesque beaches, pollute the natural environment, and destroy the peaceful, rural area.

Those Scots are apparently not swayed by a huge public relations campaign, which includes this attempt to insinuate the Manhattan-based laird into the native culture.

"The project will only strengthen Mr. Trump's connection to Scotland, where his mother grew up in a simple croft (a small agricultural land unit found in northern Scotland) on the Island of Lewis in Stornoway."

Opponents of the project also take exception to Trump's singular focus on the 'golf' aspect of the enterprise; after all, hundreds of houses and a large hotel would represent a significant portion of the project.

Trump has become so concerned about the future of his investment that he recently traveled to Aberdeenshire to try to make headway with the local council.

Once on site, according to the Associated Press, Trump claimed that the area would be "better environmentally" than when he found it.

So a man-made golf course is apparently environmentally superior to nature itself. (No offense, God, but the Donald is an experienced developer.)

Not all stakeholders are siding against the new resort. A compelling plus: economic stimulus for the area in the form of hundreds of jobs created. The planning application has attracted more than three times as many letters of support as it has of objection -- 327 to 105, according to the Associated Press.

The Aberdeenshire Council is expected to decide on the proposal by October 29. If approved, it would then go to the Scottish government for final approval later in the year.

Liz Gunnison

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