EDINBURGH, Scotland — A Scottish council on Thursday rejected a plan by Donald Trump to build a golf course on a stretch of remote and stunning coastline that is home to some of the country’s rarest birds.
“Mr. Trump is shocked, extremely disappointed and dismayed at this decision,” said George Sorial, managing director of Trump International Golf Resorts. After a heated debate lasting 2 1/2 hours, Aberdeenshire Council’s Infrastructure Committee rejected in an 8-6 vote plans for the Trump International Golf Links. Opponents of the development said sand dunes at the Menie Estate, 15 miles north of Aberdeen, should be protected as the habitat of rare birds such as lapwings, redshanks and skylarks. A week ago, Trump and his organization were jubilant when the council’s Formartine area committee approved the golf course in a 7-4 vote, but Thursday’s vote takes precedence over the earlier decision.
