Donald Trump's Scottish golf resorts received over $4 million in UK Govt's furlough aid

Former US President Donald Trump’s Scottish golf courses claimed $4 million in COVID-relief furlough payouts from the UK Government. According to newly released documents, Trump holding company Golf Recreation Scotland Ltd, which owns Trump Turnberry, sustained a loss of $4.55 million in 2020. Over the same period, Trump International in Aberdeenshire reported a loss of $1.74 million. 

While citing the documents, BBC reported that Trump’s Golf Recreation Scotland Ltd, which owns the Turnberry golf course and the resort, received a total of $3 million in grants under the furlough scheme in 2020. A subsidiary company, SLC Turnberry Ltd, also made further claims of between $582,000 and $1.47 million from January to August 2021. 

"Government support was helpful to retain as many jobs as possible, however, uncertainty of the duration of support and the pandemic's sustained impact meant that redundancies were required to prepare the business for the long term effects to the hospitality industry," say the accounts, signed by Eric Trump, as per BBC. 

It is to mention that both of Trump’s courses saw revenue plummet due to COVID-19 restrictions. The turnover at Trump Turnberry fell by over 50% in 2020 as it reported a hefty loss for the year. It received the furlough payments after reducing staff numbers from an average of 541 to 289. 

Trump’s company had said that the lack of drivers and staff had impacted product availability and additional freight and airport duty charges had caused prices to increase. It even blamed Brexit for disruptions to supply chains. Therefore, the firm, in a statement said that the UK government furlough scheme was helpful to retain as many jobs as possible, and the majority of employees were reinstated over the course of the year. 

Trump's Scottish gold resorts 

Meanwhile, it is to mention that Trump is said to have spoken fondly of his Scottish ancestry. He opened his first golf resort in Aberdeenshire in 2012, amid opposition over potential environmental damage. He even tried to stop a wind farm from being built off the coast, arguing that would spoil the view from the resort. 

In 2014, Trump then bought the Turnberry golf resort in South Ayrshire from a Dubai-based company. He handed control of both the courses to his sons, Donald Junior and Eric, shortly before he became the president in 2017, however, he retained a financial interest. Now recently, critics of Trump lost a legal bid to force the Scottish government to investigate how the former US President paid for the courses, using an unexplained wealth order. 

(Image: AP)