Environmental (Commonwealth Union)_ Environmental campaigners have criticized the sustainability claims surrounding Donald Trump’s upcoming links golf course in Aberdeenshire, set to open in 2025. Despite Trump International’s assertions that the new course near Balmedie is “one of the most environmentally-friendly and sustainable courses ever built,” experts and activists are challenging its green credentials.
Named MacLeod, after Donald Trump’s mother who was born on the Isle of Lewis, the 18-hole championship course has been promoted for its use of locally sourced materials and its sustainable irrigation system. Trump International also claims that over one million sprigs of native marram grass have been planted and six tons of marram seeds sown across the course, which spans sand dunes, heathland, and wetland areas.
However, some environmentalists remain unconvinced which has been linked to reports of irreversible damage that was said to be caused by the original Trump links course at Menie, to which the new MacLeod course is an extension. The construction of the first course had impacted the Foveran Links sand dunes, a natural landscape that had previously been designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). In 2020, the dunes lost this protected status after national nature agency Nature Scot de-notified the area due to the significant environmental harm inflicted by the original course’s development.
In 2019, Scottish Wildlife Trust’s chief executive Jo Pike claimed that the destructive nature of Trump International Golf Links, stating that building on a unique dune system had “destroyed the dynamic nature that made it special.” The loss of the SSSI status was a predictable outcome of that damage, she added.
Environmental campaigners argue that the new course will only exacerbate the destruction. Bob Ward, policy director at the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at the London School of Economics, expressed strong opposition to the project. He described Trump International’s claims of environmental friendliness as “laughable” and “complete nonsense,” pointing to the “severe and irreparable” damage already done to the landscape.
Professor Jim Hansom, a geomorphologist at the University of Glasgow, echoed these concerns, highlighting the vast quantities of sand that were moved during the construction of the first course. He noted that this had disrupted the natural structure of the soil, creating long-term damage to the landscape that cannot be undone.
Some naturalists have stated that species such as otters, deer, badgers, and various bird species, including geese, could be adversely affected.
Despite these criticisms, Trump International has defended the project. A spokesman for the company insisted that the new course would provide “the greatest 36 holes of golf” at the Aberdeenshire resort, contributing to local employment and creating an outstanding leisure destination. They also emphasized their adherence to environmental regulations, stating that all the requirements of both national and regional regulatory bodies were met and, in many cases, exceeded.
According to the company, extensive efforts were made to integrate the course seamlessly into the surrounding landscape, with a focus on respecting and enhancing the natural features of the land. The design and construction, they claim, were guided by top ecologists, geomorphologists, and environmental scientists, who worked to ensure that the course would be sustainable in the long term.
“We brought in the very best experts to ensure the courses work seamlessly within the landscape,” the spokesman said. “Sadly, there are people who cannot face up to the reality of the excellence of what has been achieved.”
