the road to the golf course, the route keeping the media a safe distance from the handful of protesters who had gathered - just 43 of them, Mr Trump said, with a mild air of disappointment.

But then, that's life for a big-hitting presidential candidate, he assured us.

"Half of the people love you, the other half hate you," he said. "That's politics."

Speaking at a news conference, Mr Trump acknowledged his family connection with Scotland through his mother Mary MacLeod, who was born in Stornoway in the Outer Hebrides.

"She loved Scotland, she would be here a lot," he said.

"She would come every year with my sister Mary and my sister Elizabeth and they just loved it. Her loyalty to Scotland was incredible."

The billionaire said his mother would often visit Turnberryfor dinner with friends but she never played golf.

He said it was "an honour" to have taken ownership of the resort, which he acquired from Dubai-based Leisurecorp two years ago, before adding his name to the brand.

'Incredible support'

Mr Trump owns more than a dozen golf resorts in the US and opened his first in the UK, at the Menie estate in Aberdeenshire, in 2012 after controversy surrounding planning, environmental issues and clashes with local people who refused to move.

In perhaps a veiled reference to those past difficulties, he praised the local politicians in Ayrshire for working with him to approve the refurbishment plans for Turnberry.

"The local politicians, and all of the politicians all throughout have been absolutely incredible," he said, adding: "They have approved virtually everything that we