The first full day of the Donald Trump visit to Scotland Saturday promised to be a day of Trump-related activities, including golf, where the US president was set to mark his inaugural outing at one of the Golf courses in the country.
The visit of Trump to his Turnberry resort has made this scenic and otherwise tranquil part of southwest Scotland a virtual fortress as roads have also been blocked and police checks are erected.
Quad bike police officers, police sniffer dogs and police horses on the historic and world renowned links – which has hosted four British male Opens – and its world renowned sandy beaches and grass dunes which adrift the course.
The 79-year-old leader landed at the nearby Prestwick Airport at Friday evening, as large crowds of television-craze audience turned out to view the Air Force One and have a glimpse of its pompous passenger.
The 45th and 47th president has owned to loving Scotland, where his mother was born, but despite a history of controversial politics and business interest in the country the relationship has been uneasy.
Not surprisingly, his five-day tour has created a separation among the local community.
Many people do not trust Trump and I am also one of them. Retiree Graham Hodgson told AFP: I believe that the man is a megalomaniac.
He is such a big asshole. I believe he is making a lot of destruction with his tariffs globally. And I believe he is doing it all in the name of America but I believe that America is paying the price too at this moment over his policies.”
However at the Prestwick Airport a boy was holding a sign saying Welcome Trump as one of the men was carrying a flag with the most famous Trump slogan written on it- Make America Great Again.
I think the most positive is that the man Trump is not a politician, but he is the most influential man in the world and I think he is interested in the best interest of his own country, said 46-year-old Lee McLean, who travelled to the city of Stirling, which is not far away from the town of Kilmarnock.
Most politicians ought to be considering the best interest of their home country first before scouting abroad as most of the leaders of the world are doing unfortunately, he told AFP.
It is the biggest security ever undertaken by Police Scotland where the force will be seeking assistance of other UK police to assist in numbers as Trump visits the country.
The Stop Trump Coalition has declared protests outside the US consulate in the Scottish capital city Edinburgh and another in Aberdeen where Trump has another golf resort scheduled on Saturday.
Other protests that may arise around the Turnberry will also be watched by the police.
As there were no published meetings on the diary on Saturday, Trump was supposed to hop in his golf cart and enjoy what he referred to as Friday as the best course in the globe.
He will speak about trade with EU head Ursula von der Leyen on Sunday and he will also meet Britain Prime Minister Keir Starmer when in Scotland.
