Sir Sean Connery helped secure consent for Donald Trump’s first golf course in Aberdeenshire, Donald Trump has claimed.

The US president attributed the approval of the course at the Menie estate to an intervention from the late James Bond actor.

During his speech at the ribbon-cutting ceremony yesterday, Mr Trump said: ‘This has been an unbelievable development.

‘The land, they said it couldn’t get zoned, it was an impossibility, and Sean Connery said “let the bloody bloke build his golf course”.

‘Once he said that everything came into line. John (Swinney) and I were talking about that last night.’

He added: ‘Sean Connery helped get me the permits. If it wasn’t for Sean Connery we wouldn’t have those great courses.’

In 2008 Sir Sean is reported to have spoken about the golf project, saying: ‘During tough economic times, this is a major vote of confidence in Scotland’s tourist industry and our ability to rise to the challenge. 

'I look forward to seeing a new gem in the north-east that is good for Aberdeenshire and good for Scotland.’

Asked about the comment, Mr Swinney said two committees of Aberdeenshire Council had come to different decisions about the application, causing a ‘paralysis’ about the situation. 

He said: ‘I took a decision to call in the application to determine it, I asked the most experienced Reporter in Scotland at the time, Jim McCulloch, to lead the public local inquiry into the application, which he did with the professionalism Jim McCulloch would bring to everything and determined in favour. That’s the due process.’

Pressed on whether Sir Sean had no involvement, he said: ‘Well, that’s an explanation of the due process.’

In 2020, Trump described Sir Sean as a ‘great actor and an even greater man,’ adding that the Scot was ‘so highly regarded’ it had helped him get the go-ahead for the Menie development.

In 2007, plans to build the golf resort were thrown into disarray when Aberdeenshire Council refused to grant planning permission for the project.

However, Mr Swinney, then the finance secretary later ‘called in’ the decision.

Shortly after, former First Minister Alex Salmond met senior Trump aides who were then invited to meet with Scotland’s chief planner.

That sparked claims Mr Salmond - who was also the area’s constituency MSP - had tried improperly to influence the planning process, prompting Holyrood’s local government committee to launch a probe.

Although cleared of any serious wrongdoing, Mr Salmond’s actions were branded ‘cavalier’ in a report by MSPs that said he had shown poor judgment in meeting Mr Trump’s aides.

The development was approved in November 2008, on the basis that it would have ‘significant economic and social benefit’.

Martin Ford, the Aberdeenshire councillor who was chair of the planning committee that initially refused Trump’s application to build the resort, later tried to shoot down those claims.

He had told the Guardian: ‘Mr Connery was not involved in the due process that led to the granting of planning permission for a golf resort at Menie.

‘He did not submit a letter of representation to the council, appear at the planning hearing, or at the public local inquiry.’

Ford had added: ‘Opinions offered in press articles are not material considerations in decisions on planning applications.’