Flying Scotsman Trump drops in for tea

The Scottish weather played havoc with Donald Trump's elaborate coiffeur yesterday when he blew into Scotland to attend a public enquiry that will decide whether his proposed £1bn golf resort near Aberdeen can go ahead. However, it was his trip to his mother's former home, a modest croft house on the island of Lewis, that caused him the most bother.

Trump, who arrived in a Boeing 727 with the letters 'TRUMP' on the fuselage, had gone to his family's former homestead to plead his case for the resort, which includes an eight-storey, five-star hotel, 950 timeshare apartments and two championship golf courses. However, his claim that the controversial development was a tribute to his mother was greeted with scepticism.

Outside the house, where he posed for photos but left after 97 seconds, he had said: "I think this land is special, I think Scotland is special, and I wanted to do something special for my mother... It's interesting when your mother, who was such a terrific woman, comes from a specific location, you tend to like that location. I think I do feel Scottish."

This outpouring prompted raised eyebrows from his cousins the Murrays, several of whom still live in his mother's croft on Lewis. "Donald is just Donald," said one with a smile.

And when asked if his trip to the island was a publicity stunt for reporters – he last visited when he was in his "threes or fours" – he said: "We were flying in. I said this was the right time to come... we could control the time a lot better. I haven't been back since because I was busy having some fun in New York, let's put it that way."

However, it is possible his trip to Lewis will do the islanders some good. After ignoring several previous requests from the local council to help restore the ailing wreck of Lewis Castle in Stornoway, the man rated by Forbes magazine as being worth $3bn agreed to consider funding their £10m restoration plans.