Trump's Aberdeenshire golf resort posts £1m annual losses

Donald Trump's Aberdeenshire golf resort has made losses for the seventh consecutive year, according to the latest published accounts.

Documents lodged with Companies House show the Trump International Golf Club made an annual loss of £1.07m in 2018.

It is a slight improvement on the previous year when losses stood at £1.25m.

The golf resort at the Menie Estate opened in 2012, but since then it has continued to make a loss.

The accounts, which were first reported by The Scotsman, also give details of a £40m interest-free loan from Mr Trump.

And they reveal that 77 people were employed by the business - down from 84 in 2017.

Mr Trump promised to spend £1bn and create 6,000 jobs developing the golf course.

• Trump and Scotland
• Trump's mother: From a Scottish island to New York's elite

Last week, the Trump Organisation was given approval to build hundreds of new homes at the Menie Estate.

However, the company said there was now no market to support its original plans for a five-star hotel.

A spokeswoman said a sustainable community was needed to support a seasonal transient business.

Plans for a second golf course the Aberdeenshire resort were approved by councillors last month.

The 18-hole MacLeod course is to be built to the south and west of the original course, which opened at Menie in 2012.

The new course is named after Mr Trump's mother, Mary Anne MacLeod, who was born and brought up on the Hebridean island of Lewis but emigrated to New York.

• 12 January 2006 - It emerges that property tycoon Donald Trump is in talks over the creation of a major leisure development in Scotland.
• 31 March 2006 - Mr Trump announces plans to build a new world class golfing centre in Aberdeenshire.
• 28 April 2006 - The US businessman flies into Scotland to visit the site of his planned course.
• 27 November 2006 - Mr Trump unveils plans for a £1bn golf resort - way above earlier estimates for the resort, thought to be about £330m.
• 30 March 2007 - The full planning application is submitted - but an environmental impact report warns of "significant adverse changes".
• 11 September 2007 - Aberdeenshire planning officials recommend that councillors approve the golf resort.
• 29 November 2007 - Councillors make the unexpected decision to reject the plans.
• 3 December 2007 - Mr Trump says he will not appeal against the decision to turn down the plans.
• 4 December 2007 - The Scottish government makes the unprecedented move to decide whether the golf resort goes ahead.
• 9 December 2007 - First Minister Alex Salmond met Trump representatives the day before ministers decided to have the final say, it emerges.
• 10 June 2008 - A public inquiry gets under way in Aberdeen and Mr Trump gives evidence.
• 3 November 2008 - The Scottish government announces that Mr Trump's controversial plans for the Aberdeenshire coast have been approved.
• 15 July 2012 - Members of the public tee off at the golf resort for the first time.
• 24 July 2018 - The Trump Organisation says it will submit a planning application for 500 homes at its golf resort.
• 24 September 2019 - Second Trump golf course at Menie approved by councillors
• 26 September 2019 - Councillors approve plans for 550 Trump golf homes at Menie