It is the tale of a classic stand-off, the kind of Hollywood script that might well interest a star like Tilda Swinton. Except that she is already in it.

She plays a determined campaigner, fighting off the ambitions of a mega-rich property tycoon. He is played by Donald Trump, and yesterday he acted true to type as he brushed off Swinton's opposition to his £1billion plan to create “the world's greatest golf course” on an environmentally sensitive stretch of coastline in Aberdeenshire.

Swinton supports the Tripping Up Trump campaign, signing its online petition against the use of compulsory purchase orders to evict householders from the Menie estate.

The actress, said to be a descendant of Robert the Bruce, did not mince her words. “Surely this kind of industrial bullying has been discredited enough. I trust Aberdeenshire Council to know its Highland history and to resist giving in to this attempt at a 21st-century clearance.”

The Donald - as he likes to be known - was not slow to respond. Writing in the Press and Journal newspaper today, he said: “Tilda Swinton, whom I don't know and have never heard of, should have spoken up three years ago and obviously is enjoying the publicity stunt at my expense ... In any event I have the support of Sir Sean Connery, and this very small group of dissidents have Tilda Swinton. I'll take that deal any day.”

Mr Trump may well find that he has picked the wrong ground for this particular battle. By assuming that Swinton is merely a publicity-hungry starlet, he has misread his opponent. Indeed, she is a fiercely independent woman who is at the very top of her profession and can call on intellectual resources to aid her cause.

Mr Trump's right-hand man, George Sorial, accused Swinton of siding with extremists and failing to understand the issues. Unlike his boss, however, he at least admitted knowing who the actress was.

“I enjoyed her ... in Michael Clayton but am disappointed that she would make such an ill-informed statement about a site she has not seen or a project she knows nothing about. If she would like information about the many benefits our development will bring to Scotland, she should contact us,” he said.

“The extremists Ms Swinton seems to represent continue to shamelessly exploit and commercialise the tragic history of the Highland Clearances in their increasingly desperate attempt to rally support for their own dubious agenda.”

Tim Newark, a historian, has also criticised Swinton for her references to the Clearances, saying they were “disrespectful” and “mad”.

Swinton could not be reached for comment yesterday.

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