A STATEMENT by the Republican US Presidential candidate-elect Donald Trump that he has invested £200m into revamping what is now known as the Trump Turnberry resort was contradicted yesterday by the hotel’s own manager.

In an interview with the Financial Times, Turnberry’s general manager Ralph Porciani, said Trump had spent or fully committed £140m on the resort.

At the time the hotel re-opened for business on June 1, Trump said: “Very exciting that one of the great resorts of the world, Turnberry, will be opening today after a massive £200m investment.

“I own it and I am very proud of it. I look forward to attending the official opening of this great development on 24 June.”

A Turnberry spokesperson confirmed yesterday that the £140m figure quoted by manager Porciani is correct and that a further £60m will be spent on renovations next year, but it was also confirmed that the £140m included the purchase price of the hotel which The National has confirmed with legal sources as £37.5m.

The huge difference in the figures brought a swift response from former First Minister Alex Salmond who along with other prominent Scottish politicians has condemned Donald Trump for his anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant rhetoric.

Salmond and Trump had been in conflict before that over the latter’s fulsome condemnation of a plan for an offshore wind farm in the North Sea near his Trump International Gold Links at Menie Estate in Aberdeenshire.

“Trump exaggerated his investment in Aberdeenshire,” said Salmond, “so it is hardly surprising that he is exaggerating his investment in Ayrshire.

“It is just one of the reasons why most of us have lost patience with this bigoted blowhard.”

Both First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale have said they would refuse any invitation to attend the official opening of the Trump Turnberry resort tomorrow.

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The National can reveal, however, that at least two politicians will attend the official opening – the Labour Provost South Ayrshire Council Helen Moonie and the Leader of the Council, Councillor Bill McIntosh of the Conservatives.

Their attendance was confirmed by South Ayrshire Council which is run by a Conservative minority administration working in partnership with the Labour Group.

Provost Moonie’s attendance in particular will be embarrassing for Scottish Labour, not least because Kezia Dugdale described Donald Trump as ‘an arse.’

Trump is expected to fly into Prestwick Airport and he will undoubtedly face questions on just how much he is investing in Scotland, the homeland of his mother, Mary Anne Macleod of Tong on the Isle of Lewis.

There is no doubt that the Trump organisation has spent many millions on the Turnberry refurbishment, with Trump’s son Erik taking personal charge of the positioning for 303 chandeliers, while visitors have spoken of ‘gold taps’ in the bathrooms, and the 103 bedrooms are fitted with new mahogany beds and 65-inch televisions.

What is undoubtedly curious, however, is that on the various building warrants granted to the Hotel by South Ayrshire Council since the Trump takeover, the stated costs of the refurbishment work are tiny compared to Donald Trump’s claims.

Building warrants are issued by Councils to confirm that work has been done to the expected standard. In the case of Turnberry, because the Hotel is a B-listed building, the council also gave Listed Building consent for the long and detailed list of works carried out.

A figure in excess of £1m has been spent on altering the course, according to local sources — consent was given for the works near Turnberry Castle on the famous Ailsa course by Historic Environment Scotland — but other warrants indicate work that doesn’t appear to add up to £200m, or even £140m.

For example, the building warrant granted for ‘Alterations to Golf Clubhouse’ number 14/00951/AL and issued on February 4, 2015, state the ‘value of work’ is £45,000.

The warrant issued on 28 August last year for the ‘extension to ballroom Stage 1 Substructure superstructure foundations and drainage’ values the work at £303,000, while the warrant issued on January 27 this year for “refurbishment and alterations to hotel” values the work at £750,000.

An earlier warrant for ‘removal of existing conservatory and internal alterations to hotel’ numbered 4/00931/AL and issued on January 14, 2015, values the work at £45,000. Curiously, other works are valued at £0

Leading architectural commentator Peter Wilson told The National: “Unless a complete list of exact spending is made public no one can say with certainty what has been spent.

“But if someone was to invest £200m in Ayrshire in such a short space of time, that would have a huge effect on the local economy.”