ALEX SALMOND had a series of convivial meetings with Donald Trump before the pair fell out over plans to site a windfarm off the tycoon’s Aberdeenshire golf course.

Nicola Sturgeon has been more efficient than her predecessor, saving time by disliking the US President from the get-go.

A year before he was even elected, she stripped Mr Trump of his GlobalScot role after he called for a Muslim travel ban.

She said the idea was “obnoxious and offensive” and he was “no longer fit” to be a business ambassador for Scotland.

Mr Trump retaliated by saying Ms Sturgeon and other UK politicians should thank him for his investments “instead of pandering to political correctness”.

She didn’t, pointedly snubbing an invitation to the relaunch of his £200 million Trump Turnberry resort in June 2016.

A month before the US election, Ms Sturgeon went further, breaking diplomatic tradition by declaring that she vehemently wanted Hillary Clinton to defeat him.

Referring to Mr Trump’s infamous taped boast that, as a celebrity, he could grab women by the privates, Ms Sturgeon said he was guilty of “misogyny at its worst”.

Asked if she would be proud to see the half-Scot as president, she said: “No. No.

I hope Donald Trump doesn’t become President of the United States and I expect the people of the United States will have the good sense not to elect him.”

She added: “I abhor the comments that Donald Trump has been making in this campaign. I recognise it’s for the people of America to decide who they want to be their president. I’m just being pretty straight in my own view that I hope

that is President Hillary Clinton.”

After Mr Trump won in November 2016, the First Minister kept up her criticism, telling MSPs she considered many of his campaign comments “deeply abhorrent”, and promised “not to maintain a diplomatic silence” on racism and bigotry.

A few days later, teeth gritted, she wished him “success” in her official congratulation letter, but included a dig at his views.

Scotland and America shared “fundamental values of equality, tolerance, diversity and human rights for all, regardless of race, faith, gender or sexual orientation,” she said.

Unsurprisingly, it took the president-elect more than a month to get round to phoning Bute House, a hastily arranged 10 -minute call that Ms Sturgeon’s side described vaguely as “cordial”.

But it evidently wasn’t much more than that. Within weeks, after Theresa May offered President Trump a UK visit, the First Minister called for it to be cancelled.

She told Mrs May to her face she ought to speak up against Mr Trump’s position on migration and banning Muslims.

“I don’t think it would be appropriate... for the state visit to go ahead while these bans are in place,” she told the PM.

That record of criticism, plus support for Mrs Clinton, all but guaranteed Mr Trump would find a round of golf more pressing this weekend than seeing Ms Sturgeon.

It is not fair to call it a snub, as the First Minister has never hidden her antipathy towards Mr Trump or sought out his company. If anything, it is more of a relief.

A Whitehall source indicated the feeling was mutual, saying the US government had not shown any “appetite” for an encounter.

The Scottish Government stressed Mr Trump was coming “at the invitation of the UK Government” and so Tory Scottish Secretary David Mundell would greet him.

“We understand the President’s time in Scotland is planned as a personal private visit between other engagements with no official meetings,” a spokesman said.

“Scotland has deep and longstanding ties of family, friendship and business with the United States, which will continue.

“At the same time, we will not compromise our fundamental values of equality, diversity, and human rights and we expect these values to be made clear during the Presidential visit to the UK.

We would encourage those attending any protests to do so peacefully and safely.”

The first Scottish protest against the visit took place at Trump Turnberry yesterday.

Around a dozen activists from Stand Up to Racism Scotland staged a brief demonstration at the foot of the drive to the South Ayrshire hotel and golf course.

The group shouted “Lock up Trump, let the children go” and mocked up a caged Mr Trump to highlight his administration’s separation of children and parents at the US/Mexico border.

Teacher Charlotte Ahmed, 57, from Glasgow, said: “He’s a racist, he’s a misogynist, he’s a warmonger, he’s a liar and his actions are encouraging racists and fascists all over the world. This is a really frightening thing that such a person should be coming to Scotland, this beautiful country.”

The UK Government has banned unauthorised planes and drones flying below 5500 ft over Prestwick Airport and Turnberry while Mr Trump is present.

Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard and Green MSP Patrick Harvie urged

SNP ministers to deny Mr Trump use of Prestwick, as it is publicly owned.

“Horrific scenes at the Mexican border are a repudiation of decent human values. Caging children like animals is barbaric. We cannot roll out the red carpet,” they said.

However ministers refused to intervene, saying Prestwick took its own commercial decision at arm’s length from government.

A spokesman said: “Prestwick Airport is operated on a commercial basis and at arm’s length from the Scottish Government, in compliance with EU state aid rules. Ministers do not intervene in any specific commercial matters at the airport.”

Scottish LibDem MP Christine Jardine said she would be at the demo in the capital.

She said: “While the Secretary of State is cosying up to someone whose views on human rights are an anathema to so many people, I’ll be with LibDems marching in Edinburgh to oppose Trump’s divisive and heartless agenda.

“If we have to host this President we should be using it to highlight his dreadful record on climate change, equality, migration, LGBT, trans and human rights. I don’t have much hope David Mundell will use his meeting to do so.”

Meanwhile, a song mocking Mr Trump to the tune of ‘Donald Where’s Your Troosers?’ has become a viral hit for the Aberdeenshire punk-folk band Hoodoo Zephyr. A video for the song, which was “inspired by the alleged antics of a wayward POTUS”, has been viewed 24,000 times on Facebook.

Lead guitarist Geoff Sprinks, whose stage name is Sprinkles, said: “We will not be anywhere near where he’s going to be, it would be lovely to have played at one of the protests. We just hope enough people can see the video and can sing a bit of it - that would be lovely.”