According to reports in the Guardian and on the BBC, international tycoon Donald Trump has written to Alex Salmond to accuse him of being ‘hell-bent on destroying Scotland’s coastline’ with off-shore wind farm developments. In his letter Trump claimed that ‘with the reckless installation of these monsters, you will single-handedly have done more damage to Scotland than virtually any event in Scottish history.’
Plans were submitted for 11 turbines last summer to be built off the coast from his highly controversial planned Menie golf resort. Trump blasted the turbines as ‘horrendous’ and ‘monstrosities’, declaring that all work on his resort has been halted until the Scottish government decides the fate of the wind farm application.
Trump also stated that he is to launch and fund an international campaign to fight plans ‘to surround Scotland’s coast with many thousands of wind turbines’, adding ‘Please understand that I am doing this to save Scotland.’
A Scottish government spokeswoman said: “Scottish waters are estimated to have as much as a quarter of Europe’s potential offshore wind energy. A recent study suggests that harnessing just a third of the practical resource off our coast by 2050 would enable us to generate enough electricity to power Scotland seven times over.
“An independent Scotland will be able to take full responsibility for this renewables revolution, along with the investment and thousands of jobs it brings.”