The Irish Republic has embarked on a major construction programme of some 40 golf courses. Irish politicians are experienced operators on the global level when it comes to growing their economy. They appreciate the value of golf tourism and the potential it has to put Ireland on the map as an international destination and a place to do business.

For the first time in Scotland we have a real Scottish-minded government. Alex Salmond, Sean Connery and others have consciously tapped into North America's businessmen from the Scottish diaspora through promotion of Tartan Day and other events. One result is that Donald Trump and his representative George Sorial, both of whose mothers come from Lewis, have promoted their £1bn investment in the "old country". The contact potential of this enterprise for Scotland is enormous.

Provincial politicians fail to see the bigger international picture. Their tendency is to leave this to the big boys in London. Aberdeenshire Council did not even have in place some form of "25% rule", whereby councillors could force an automatic referral of Trump's application to the full council when, as in this case, 50% of the planning committee were in support.

Had the Salmond government not acted swiftly and decisively, Ireland's golf expansion policy would soon be eclipsing Scotland.

Tom Johnston, 5 Burn View, Cumbernauld.

The determination of Scotland's floundering LibDems to make something of the Trump affair is laughable. The only damage being sustained on their ill-judged efforts is on the ineffectual Nicol Stephen who has surely decided to pick a fight on a proposal with which about 80% of his constituents (and most of the rest of Scotland) enthusiastically agree.

The only other casualties are Aberdeen councillors, some of whom arrived at a decision patently against the wishes of most of their voters. This caused the rest of them in fright to sack one of their number for exercising his democratic right to vote down something with which he didn't agree.

None of this has anything to do with the Scottish Government.

It would be a very foolish constituency MSP and MP who did not meet and talk to all parties with interest in a potentially massive investment in his constituency.

It would be a monumental error if the Scottish Government did not give serious consideration to a proposed £1bn investment in Scotland and only someone scraping a very deep barrel would think Scotland's First Minister arriving at an appointment in the First Ministerial car was in any way questionable.

I suppose it speaks volumes about the success of the SNP Government that the Opposition is reduced to this level of nonsense.

David McEwan Hill, Tom Nan Ragh, Dalinlongart, Sandbank.

The prestigious Wall Street Journal, with a worldwide circulation, has published an article bringing global attention to the enmity Donald Trump has encountered in Scotland against his plan to invest £1bn in Aberdeenshire. The good name of Scotland has now been globally besmirched owing to the casting vote of a LibDem councillor who did not take account of the views of the majority of his constituents. Instead of attempting to score brownie points against Alex Salmond, the trio of Wendy Alexander, Annabel Goldie and Nicol Stephen would be better engaged trying to repair the damage done to Scotland's image among the international business community. Maybe, despite the Trump project rejection, they still expect foreign entrepreneurs readily to invest in Scotland.

Donald J MacLeod, 49 Woodcroft Avenue, Bridge of Don, Aberdeen.

I note considerable coverage is being given to LibDem leader Nicol Stephen's accusation that the SNP "may" have done something illegal but he can't quite say what, following on his accusation, at First Minister's questions of them suffering the disgraceful sin of "cleverness". This was apparently intended to distract attention from the fact that the leading councillors who refused to allow Mr Trump to invest £1bn in Aberdeenshire were LibDems.

Neil Craig, 200 Woodlands Road, Glasgow.