Letter: Trump motives

After watching the documentary the other week on the Trump International development at Menie, just a mile or so from my house, I feel an enormous amount of sympathy for Mr Trump.

Having lost his mother a few years ago he wants to build a hotel, several tower blocks, a golf course and a thousand houses on protected land in order to honour her in an area which is almost as far from her home island of Lewis as is possible while still being within Scotland.

Surely our councillors and the SNP administration should be applauded for doing everything possible to enable this billionaire to realise his ambition. Wouldn't most people agree it's very selfish that a few families who have lived on the land at Menie for decades wish to remain there and ruin his dream?

Mr Trump has inspired me to do something similar for my father who passed away several years ago. As he and his family were from the heart of Buchan I thought that perhaps a Dracula-styled theme park at Slains Castle would be appropriate, playing on the suggestion that Bram Stoker gained inspiration for the iconic vampire while staying at Slains.

A large housing development on the nearby green belt land would be required to help finance it, but I'm sure the project would garner support from everyone in the North-east and, of course, bring significant economic and social benefits to the area.

Stephen Leiper

Drums

Near Foveran, Aberdeenshire