Trump UK visit: Thousands take part in third day of protests as president golfs after wreaking diplomatic havoc

Third day of demonstrations as president unwinds in Scotland after causing chaos south of border

Donald Trump faces further protests as he rounds off his UK visit by golfing in Scotland, having wreaked diplomatic havoc south of the border.

Thousands of demonstrators have taken to the streets of Edinburgh for a march against the president, who flew to Glasgow on Friday before spending the night at his Turnberry resort in Ayrshire.

It is the third day of protests in Britain since the American leader arrived for a working trip which included trade talks with Theresa May and tea with the Queen.

His chaotic visit has been dominated by an explosive interview in which he told The Sun the prime minister ignored his advice on Brexit and warned her strategy risked killing off chances of a US-UK trade deal.

It has also been marked by demonstrations across the country, including a huge march in London which organisers said had been attended by more than 100,000 people.

Demonstrators converged on the Trump International Golf Links in Balmedie, Aberdeenshire, on Saturday, and there are also likely to be further protests at Turnberry, where the president is expected to play golf before leaving the UK for Russia on Sunday.

At Balmedie, disability activist Fiona Robertson, 37, said: "Trump threatens the human rights of disabled people, whether it's in the US or UK or anywhere he has influence.

"He's begun to roll back some of the moves towards universal healthcare that they had been stepping towards in the States - disabled people are already dying there for lack of care," she claimed.

Speaking about the nationwide protests Ms Robertson, from Aberdeen, said: "I think that it's important that we're not complicit."

Greenpeace flew a paraglider with a banner message reading “Trump Well Below Par” above the resort on Friday evening as activists protested over the president’s environmental record.

Ben Stewart, a spokesman for the campaign group, said: “Theresa May should not have dignified Trump with a visit to the UK. The vast majority of British people are appalled by his words and deeds. He is, simply, the worst president ever.”

Pro-Trump supporters are also holding a march in central London on Saturday, with a huge police operation mounted amid fears demonstrators could merge with another rally held with supporters of jailed far-right figurehead Tommy Robinson.

Specially trained officers are patrolling the processions after a previous demonstration in support of the EDL founder saw metal barriers and bottles being thrown at police.

At the anti-Trump protest in Edinburgh, a 20-foot blimp designed to resemble an infant Trump in a nappy will be flown after taking to skies above Parliament Square on Friday.

Activist Leo Murray, who helped raise more than £30,000 to pay for the inflatable, said he had been “inundated with messages from friends and allies in Scotland asking us to bring Trump baby”, which the president has complained made him feel “unwelcome”.

Plans to fly the blimp at Turnberry were blocked due to airspace restrictions.

Anti-Trump protesters also filled Scotland’s George Square before the president flew into Prestwick on Friday. He waved as he left Air Force One with first lady Melania before travelling 20 miles in a huge convoy of black vehicles to Turnberry, where they were greeted by Scottish secretary David Mundell.

The president will not meet Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon, who has been a vocal critic of Mr Trump.

His stay in Scotland has been described as “private”, and follows a two-day working trip to England during which included visits to Sandhurst military academy and an extraordinary press conference with Ms May.

During the press conference, the president sought to repair relations with the prime minister that had been bruised by his bombshell interview.

He hailed US-UK links as “the highest level of special” and accused The Sun of “fake news” after it reported his criticism of Ms May’s Brexit strategy – despite the newspaper releasing audio of the interview.

“I didn’t criticise the prime minister, I have a lot of respect for the prime minister and unfortunately there was a story that was done, which was generally fine, but it didn’t put in what I said about the prime minister and I said tremendous things,” he said.

Hours later, Mr Trump raised eyebrows again by twice breaking royal protocol within minutes of meeting the Queen. He was mocked on social media for blocking the monarch’s path, having earlier shaken hands with her instead of bowing, as etiquette dictates.

The president will fly out of Scotland on Sunday for a meeting with Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Helsinki. The White House said the summit would go ahead as planned despite the US charging 12 Russian intelligence officers with hacking into Democrat emails to interfere with the American election.