Trump to Build "Greatest Golf Course in the World" in Scotland

The Scottish government has approved Donald Trump's plan to build a golf resort in Aberdeenshire in northeast Scotland, the Associated Press reports. Trump's $1.6 billion plan includes the development of two championship golf courses, 500 luxury houses and a 450-room hotel. Trump claims the resort will be "the greatest golf course in the world."

An Aberdeenshire Council committee initially rejected the plan in the interest of protecting the dunes, skylarks, otters and other wildlife of the local environment. However, Scottish Government Finance Secretary John Swinney and First Minister Alex Salmond have backed the plan after a public local inquiry.

"The economic and social benefits for the northeast of Scotland substantially outweigh any environmental impact," Salmond said Monday, citing the resort's potential of creating 6,000 jobs. "In tough economic times, substantial investment of this kind is at a premium."