Massive Anti-Trump Protests Brewing Across Scotland as Trump Set to Land for Private Visit
Scotland is gearing up for a wave of protests from Ayrshire to Aberdeenshire this weekend as demonstrators prepare to voice their fury over Donald Trump’s increasingly extreme policies. Protest organisers say the country is bracing for a bold show of “widespread anger” as the former US president touches down on Friday for a five-day private stay at his luxury golf resorts in Turnberry and Menie.
Though this isn’t an official state visit, Keir Starmer is set to hold private talks with Trump on Monday in Scotland. No press conference is on the books, but media will be allowed in at the start — raising the odds of one of Trump’s trademark unscripted Q&A moments.
Despite the expected turnout, Police Scotland’s assistant chief constable Emma Bond, who is overseeing the visit, reassured that protests are not expected to cause chaos or unrest. But the Scottish Police Federation raised alarms about the strain on police resources, warning it could lead to delays in emergency response times across the country.
The Stop Trump Coalition is leading the charge with major protests planned in Aberdeen city centre and outside the US embassy in Edinburgh, both kicking off Saturday at midday. When Trump last visited in 2018, similar demonstrations drew thousands of furious Scots to the streets.
Smaller but symbolic protests are also brewing near Turnberry and Menie, where Trump is reportedly set to unveil a new 18-hole golf course named in tribute to his mother, Mary Anne MacLeod Trump, who hailed from the Isle of Lewis.
Starmer, who is attending the Women’s Euro Final in Switzerland, is expected to travel to Scotland either late Sunday or early Monday. However, if the White House dinner goes ahead Sunday night, his schedule might shift.
Downing Street has kept details of the visit and Starmer’s role deliberately vague, citing the private nature of the trip and stating that normal diplomatic protocols don’t apply.
Still, the White House has confirmed that a press pool of 12 US journalists will be present during the talks, with the UK press likely to follow suit.
And if past behavior is any indication, Trump could use even the briefest interaction with reporters to make major headlines. The last time he and Starmer met — at the G7 summit in Alberta — Trump fielded questions on everything from UK steel tariffs and Ukraine to his admiration for Starmer.
Connor Dylan, a key organiser behind the protests, said the opposition to Trump has only grown stronger: “When he first visited as president, most people in Scotland already rejected his views. Now, after everything we’ve seen, that rejection has turned into full-blown resistance.”
He added that Trump’s hard-right ideology has evolved dangerously: “Ideas like mass deportations, once on the fringe, are now part of the mainstream in American politics and being pushed globally by his far-right allies.”
Alena Ivanova, another organiser, said she’s been hearing from activists all over the country: “There’s a deep and growing anger. People don’t want our leaders to give Trump the respect or recognition he’s seeking.”
While Police Scotland has pledged a “positive and engaged approach” to peaceful demonstrations, Chief Superintendent Rob Hay, president of the Association of Scottish Police Superintendents, warned of a nationwide operational stretch: “This visit will demand major resources, tapping every level of policing from local units to specialist operations and even communications and command teams.”