Trump to build Scottish golf resort despite protests

The Financial Times reports that real estate developer Donald Trump will press on developing his Scottish golf resort near Aberdeen despite environmentalists' protests.

Ecotravel News has been following this story for years. Back in February 2008 we posted a video of protesters, and later followed it up with a post questioning the profitability of the resort.

Trump said that he used $60 million of his own money to help finance the building of the resort.

Work began on planting the coastal dunes at Menie Estate with marram grass in the autumn and Mr Trump said today he was going to name them “The Great Dunes of Scotland”. Environmentalists objected to the scheme because the dunes offer a home for rare birds and plants.

Tripping Up Trump, a protest group, announced it had taken title to part of the land owned by Michael Forbes, a smallholder who has previously rejected offers by the Trump Organisation to buy his and several adjoining properties that lie close to the proposed courses.

Read the full story: Trump vows to press on with Scottish resort

Photo by Murdo Macleod

Scottish golf resort Trump-ed

This past February, Ecotravel News posted a video about environmental protestations over the proposed Trump golf course/resort near Aberdeen, Scotland.

Environmentalists claimed that part of the golf course would encompass and disturb delicate sand dunes that house numerous wildlife species.

Now in a follow-up, The Economist examines the implications of the golf resort.

Trump prevailed in a public inquiry with the backing of Scotland's first minister (and avid golfer) Alex Salmond. But the question now is just how profitable can this resort be especially now that global economies have plunged?

"Recovering the investment depends on selling the [resort's] houses [950 holiday apartments, 36 golf villas, 500 houses]. This autumn, after five years of steadily rising, Aberdeen house prices suddenly dropped by 7% and sales volumes halved.

Golf is no longer a sure-fire winner either. The American owner of the ultra-posh Loch Lomond club, which counts Prince Andrew as a member and hosts the Scottish Open, is having to sell it to repay loans."

Read the full story: Trump's Scottish venture, birdie or bogey?

Contradictions in Costa Rica's ecotourism trade

Costa Rica is often touted as an ecotourist paradise.

But although many tourists visit this Central American country to enjoy nature, the tourist outfits aren't always thinking about keeping the environment as pristine as one would think.

The Christian Science Monitor explored this dark issue in a recent article:

"Statistics revealed that 97 percent of Costa Rica's sewage flows untreated into rivers, streams, or the ocean, and that more than 300,000 tons of garbage was left uncollected on streets in 2006. And a flurry of illegal well-drilling is running aquifers dry, ironic in a country where as much as 20 feet of rain falls annually.

Despite the chaos, less than a quarter of coastal towns have zoning plans to balance tourism development with natural resources and government services such as sewage treatment and public water supply."

Read the full story: Costa Rica sees tourism's environmental dark side

Scottish town's environmental Trump problem

Short film makers posted a thought-provoking video on Current Television's website about the problem of large developers and environmental damage. Billionaire real estate and resort developer Donald Trump won a highly protested bid to build a golf course that will partially destroy nationally protected sand dunes in Scotland. Golf courses use pesticides and irrigation techniques that are potentially damaging to water sources. Golf courses also bring tourists which can help enrich communities that lack other tourist infrastructure.