Sean O'Grady: What links Scotland to Donald Trump? Nothing...

I regret that during my many trips to Scotland I did not visit the Menie Links in Aberdeenshire. From the photographs, it seems a very beautiful corner of the kingdom – unspoilt, unpolluted, undeveloped. It is also a Site of Special Scientific Interest, which sounds even more, well, special and natural.

I think that I had better organise myself a walk along these sand dunes while I still have the chance, and I'd advise you to do the same, because before very long they will be turned into "the world's greatest golf course", courtesy of one of the world's greatest – and richest – men, Donald Trump. I fear it will happen. Mr Trump had his original plans rejected by the local planning authority, Aberdeenshire Council, but he's a persistent sort, and, thanks to the intervention of Scotland's First Minister, Alex Salmond, Mr Trump has got another chance to get his way, via a public inquiry.

Mr Salmond's Scottish constituency, by the way, includes the Menie Links, a coincidence that caused the Scottish Parliament to launch an inquiry into the affair and for allegations of sleaze to fill the air. Holyrood Babylon, you might say.

Anyway, Mr Trump has been good enough to come to Scotland to give evidence. He told his opponents, who doubted he had an absolute grip on all the details of his plans, that, "no one has ever told me I don't know how to buy property before", which must be true, but perhaps because no one's been cheeky enough before.

He also told the inquiry that: "I see polls showing 93 per cent in favour. You can say what you want, but this is a very popular project and you probably know that better than anyone." Well, as Gordon Brown might agree, popularity isn't everything. Nature matters too. The RSPB Scotland, the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency, Scottish Natural Heritage, Scottish Wildlife Trust and every other moderate conservationist voice is outraged by the development.

They are right. Either we get real and treat SSSIs as inviolate or we may as well not bother with them. Yes, there's sometimes a national interest case that can be made to overturn the conservationists' one. Maybe that sort of argument should prevail for vital schemes, such as Heathrow's expansion, or the eco-towns or over new nuclear power stations.

But Donald Trump's golf course as a matter of national strategic importance? I think not, Alex. And even if you accept the development case (far from proven) there are plenty of ugly bits of Scotland – no offence – that would actually be uplifted by the Trump scheme. Why doesn't Trump take his plans there?

You might have thought that a character such as Mr Trump would have bigger things to occupy his mind than spoiling the Scottish landscape. By the looks of things he must also spend a bit of time fixing his rather opulent barnet. He goes on the telly a lot, builds skyscrapers and writes books with titles such as Think Like a Billionaire: Everything You Need to Know About Success, Real Estate, and Life.

But no. This golf course is a very grand development indeed, more of a mini city than a few holes in the ground, a patch of sand and a shed with a bar in it (my working definition of a golf course. I don't play, by the way). In addition to two golf courses with associated structures, planning permission has been sought for a large hotel, 500 houses and 1,000 holiday homes. Big enough, you'll agree.

It will also be a very private environment. At the moment, under Scotland's wonderful laws on public access to land, anyone can walk through the dunes and rough grass areas around Menie. It also has, in contrast to England, a much more open and less class-ridden approach to golf. But still, golf courses, as well we know, can be about as private and closed as it gets and the American approach can be even more restrictive and enclosed than Britain's. Once in possession, Trump will want his clientele to have the privacy they've paid for.

I think Scotland needs to grow up a bit. The time has long passed when that nation had to beg the rest of the world for jobs and investment. Quietly, Scotland has been catching up with the rest of Britain in prosperity. She is much richer, in absolute and relative terms, than she has ever been, though there are pockets of shaming poverty.

There is talk that Trump will take his 18 holes over to Ulster if he's frustrated in Aberdeenshire. Let him. Scotland doesn't need to crawl to a billionaire like Trump or anyone else to make a living. Besides, there are hundreds of golf courses in Scotland. Do they really need another one?