Scots planning a next holiday on the North East coast may want to reconsider.

An unsettling development, which failed to emerge from the hours of testimonies heard at the Aberdeen public inquiry into whether Donald Trump should be allowed to build two golf courses on protected sand dunes on the Menie estate, has become apparent.

Speaking to The Times, the 61-year-old reality television show host and property mogul has promised to spend “a lot” of time living in the “minicastle” situated on the estate, should he be successful with his application.

While such a pledge would give members of the Ramblers' Association and nature lovers ample opportunity to see The Donald's comb-over hairstyle in a natural setting, it would also give Mr Trump the chance to become better acquainted with his Scottish first cousins, in whose home in Tong, near Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis, the tycoon spent precisely 97 seconds during a publicity stunt prior to the public inquiry.

Mr Trump is practically a local already. The property billionaire, who flew into Scotland on his private Boeing 727 - a giant ‘T' emblazoned on its tail, is often recognised there, in part, he says, because of the inquiry but also because his US version of The Apprentice “continues to be a big success” with viewers.

Mr Trump testified this month to a public inquiry convened to consider his £1billion plan to build “the world's greatest golf course” near Balmedie, 13 miles north of Aberdeen.

Environmental groups have balked at the proposal to build on a three-mile stretch of coastline two golf courses, a five-star hotel, 1,000 holiday homes and 500 private houses. Opponents have argued that it

could cause irreversible damage to a protected area of sand dunes. Mr Trump said that he would not be prepared to move part of his golf course off the sand dunes, because that would make it a “half-assed” development.

Mr Trump is, he says, a committed environmentalist. At the inquiry, he said: “I consider myself to be an environmentalist in the true sense of the word.” He added that he had received “many, many environmental accolades”.

In his interview with The Times, Mr Trump reaffirmed his special concern for the birds that inhabit the site. “I told the Royal Society for Birds - the people who protect birds - that the site is a killing field,” Mr Trump said.

“Hunters kill 25,000 birds a year. Then I explained that all we want are birdies and eagles. We would not be killing any birds.” He added that he believed that the opposition to his project was from a very small group of individuals.

While Mr Trump is far from reticent about bragging of his achievements, he is not prepared to test his luck by predicting the outcome of the inquiry, which has still at least a week to run. “I do not want to be presumptuous. I do not like talking about the alternatives,” he said.

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