How Donald Trump's 'No.1 fan' in his Scottish island 'home' will be marking US president's inauguration

For the man who holds the lonely mantle of Donald Trump’s foremost, and perhaps, only public supporter in the 47th US president’s maternal homeland, the shift in power in Washington DC is a cause for celebration.

Not that Derick Mackenzie will be marking the occasion with much fanfare, having already commemorated Mr Trump’s historic election victory last November. He did so in a way befitting of the founder of the ‘Isle of Lewis Supports President Trump’, a niche Facebook page with a little over 500 followers.

“I marched through the streets of Stornoway with a stars and stripes hat, sunglasses, and a guitar,” recalled Mr Mackenzie.

He did so while filming the spectacle, with the subsequent video uploaded to his YouTube channel. In it, he asked locals for their views on the result. The reply from one woman - “Och, no comment” - is indicative of the feelings on an island which has endured an awkward relationship with its most infamous son.

Donald Trump pictured at the house in Tong, on the Isle of Lewis, where his mother was brought up before she emigrated to the United States. | PA

Mr Mackenzie, a former soldier, is undeterred. Though his Facebook page only has around 500 followers, he is content with his one man mission to promote Mr Trump. “

“I think I’m his number one fan in this part of the world,” he said. “I’m the only one here who does anything overtly supportive of him. Most people tend to keep things to themselves. Whatever they think, they keep it to themselves unless they’re provoked, and then you get the negatives most of the time.”

The next four years, Mr Mackenzie believes, will herald an upturn in fortunes for the US and the wider world, although he is less optimistic about the fate of the UK under Labour. “The past four years in America have been dismal because of the Democrats getting in,” he reasoned. “Left wing politics is always like that. No matter what they say it’s always a path of destruction, and we’re experiencing the same thing now here because of Starmer, who’s a fool.”

Derick Mackenzie paraded through the streets of Stornoway after Mr Trump's election win. Picture: Derick Mackenzie/YouTube | Derick Mackenzie/YouTube

Even issues that could have a detrimental impact locally on Lewis, such as the widely anticipated tariffs being measured up by the incoming Trump administration - a step that is causing considerable anxiety in the Scotch whisky industry - do not colour Mr Mackenzie’s views.

“Although I recognise the economic side of things, I’m a Christian, and I don’t see them as the most important,” he explained. It’s really not a concern for me what happens to the whisky industry. We have a whisky store here in the town, and I pass it wondering, ‘Are we a group of alcoholics here?’ I’m a believer in the tariffs he speaks about, and I think they make good economic sense.”

For the foreseeable future, he will continue beating the Trump drum, even if it is unlikely he will win over too many converts. But he is doubtless not alone on Lewis in deciding not to follow every moment of Mr Trump’s televised inauguration ceremony, where the 78 year-old will use a Bible gifted to him by his Lewis-born mother, Mary Anne MacLeod.

“I don’t really bother much about the ceremonial side of things, I’m a very practical minded person,” he added. “I mean, I might watch it for a few moments, but I’ll probably get bored.”