In quotes: Trump and the UK exchange views

As US presidential hopeful and billionaire Donald Trump flies into the UK to reopen Ayrshire's Turnberry golf course, we look at some of his thoughts on his brushes with Britain.

On golf

Donald Trump counts himself, if not lucky, then hugely successful on many fronts. Not least in the world of golf where, he says, he owns both "the world's best" and the "world's greatest" courses.

He is in the UK this week to reopen Trump Turnberry, in Ayrshire, after its major revamp. His other Scottish golf resort, Menie, in Aberdeenshire, is, "My baby. I'm very proud of it. We built maybe the greatest course anywhere in the world and it's been so adjudged by architectural critics."

Together with Doonbeg in County Clare, Ireland, they form what Donald dubs the "Trump Triangle", three of the 18 prestigious courses he owns around the world.

"They're all extra-special," he says.

On wind power

Since buying the Menie Estate, Mr Trump has become embroiled in a legal battle to stop an 11-turbine wind farm from being built off the coast of the Aberdeenshire course.

He is no fan of wind power and gave the plan the hairdryer treatment from the off. After all, it would spoil the view for golfers.

"We will be bringing a lawsuit... to stop what will definitely be the destruction of Aberdeen and Scotland itself," he declared.

"We will spend whatever monies are necessary to see these huge and unsightly industrial wind turbines are never constructed."

Protesters greeted Donald Trump in Edinburgh when he spoke to MSPs about the wind farm plan

The then First Minister Alex Salmond believed the plan would bring tens of thousands of Scottish jobs, £30bn in investment and a renewable energy supply.

Mr Trump asked him: "Do you want to be known for centuries to come as 'Mad Alex - the man who destroyed Scotland'?

"Wind energy is highly inefficient. Be smart and try to get yourself out of this mess.

"Jobs will not be created in Scotland because these ugly monstrosities known as turbines are manufactured in other countries such as China.

"These countries are laughing at you."

On the 'Local Hero'

From one strong character to another. When "The Donald" began redevelopment at Menie, chances are he didn't bet on butting up against farmer, fisherman and quarry-worker Michael Forbes, who lives on an adjacent farm.

Mr Forbes objected to plans for a second golf course and housing and refused to sell his land to the US billionaire. Their David and Goliath battle featured in the documentary You've been Trumped.

Donald Trump described his neighbour's farm as: "Slum-like, disgusting. He's got stuff thrown all over the place. He lives like a pig. For people to have to look at this virtual slum is a disgrace.

"Mr Forbes is not a man people in Scotland should be proud of."

Mr Forbes countered that Mr Trump "destroys everything he touches".

He recalled their first chance meeting on the Aberdeenshire sand dunes: "He was being all nicey, nicey and talking about how successful he was and how much money he had.

"That was it for me. I took an instant dislike to him."

Years into their struggle he concluded: "If I'm the village idiot, he must be the New York clown. He's just a child who's never grown up. I don't know why he's getting his nappy all in a knot anyway."

This week, two local residents have raised the Mexican flag on their properties next to his course, to "show solidarity" with the Mexicans Trump has threatened to keep out of the US with a wall.

On immigration

Trump provoked outrage when he declared at a South Carolina rally: "Donald J Trump is calling for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country's representatives can figure out what the hell is going on.

"We have no choice".

A petition was launched to ban Trump from the UK and attracted more than half a million signatures. Politicians united to condemn the comments.

Prime Minister David Cameron called them: "Divisive, stupid and wrong. I think if he came to visit our country, he'd unite us all against him."

Trump later partially relented, saying "there will always be exceptions", perhaps for the newly-elected London Mayor?

But Sadiq Khan demurred, saying Trump's views on Islam were "ignorant", that it was not "just about me. It's about my friends, my family and everyone who comes from a background similar to mine, anywhere in the world."

Jeremy Corbyn has invited Mr Trump for a trip out in his constituency with his wife Laura

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn proposed a different tack on Trump's "weird and, frankly, off-the-wall views".

"I decided to invite Donald Trump to my constituency because he has problems with Mexicans and problems with Muslims," he said.

"My wife is Mexican and my constituency is very multicultural. I was going to go down to the mosque with him and let him talk to people there."

But Alex Salmond did not waver: "I would probably ban "The Donald" because it would do him some good. He wants to ban all Muslims from the US. I want to ban all Donald Trumps from Scotland."

UKIP leader Nigel Farage observed Trump's comments were: "Perhaps, for him, a political mistake too far."

On London

From across the pond, Mr Trump described life in some European capitals:

"We have places in London that are so radicalised that the police are afraid for their own lives," he said.

"Paris is no longer the same city that it was. They have sections in Paris that are radicalised, where the police refuse to go there, they're petrified.

Brussels? A "hellhole".

On a brighter, but slightly mixed note, he told supporters in Atlanta, Georgia that: "Belgium is a beautiful city".

His comments on London were quickly dismissed as "nonsense" by Home Secretary Theresa May.

"Mr Trump is so stupid, my God," said Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo.

And the London Metropolitan Police opened up an invite: "We would not normally dignify such comments with a response," they said.

"However, on this occasion we think it's important to state to Londoners that Mr Trump could not be more wrong.

"Any candidate for the presidential election in the United States of America is welcome to receive a briefing from the Met Police on the reality of policing London."

On his Scottish ancestry

At the height of the access ban controversy, Mr Trump may have remarked that "I really have no idea who the Brits think they are". But he is sure and proud of his own, Scottish, heritage.

His mother, Mary MacLeod, was born in tiny Tong, on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides in 1912.

She left the island for New York aged 18 and met and married Trump's builder father Fred.

But in 2008, TRUMP 1 touched down, allowing Donald to spend 97 seconds of a three-hour visit to Lewis inside the cottage where she was born.

"I have been very busy - I am building jobs all over the world - and it's very, very tough to find the time to come back," he said.

"But this just seemed an appropriate time, because I have the plane. We land, I wanted to see it. I'm very glad I did, and I will be back again."

Trump's mother Mary quit Lewis for New York

He even began to feel his part-homeland in his bones, saying: "I think this land is special, I think Scotland is special, and I wanted to do something special for my mother.

"I like it. I feel very comfortable here. 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."