Beech Trees

Funny old things trees. Even when we have modern materials like plastic and steel they still provide structure and form to our homes and landscapes. In cities they tend to be protected and in the Scottish countryside there are Forestry Regulations governing felling and re-planting.

I watched the Balmedie documentary today "You've Been Trumped" it's called. Broadcast on BBC2 Scotland last week . Golf course, SSI, locals threatened with compulsory purchase, dollars and destruction of habitat, it has the lot. Not the best made film ever made mind you, but worth a watch if you have an aversion to corporate bullish behaviour or simply don't trust your local council. The film makers were subject to harassment by various folk.
The Donald Trump Organisation naturally headed the list with Mr Trump personally making remarks about the journalistic status of the crew. Then came the head of a local university who felt that money comes before people's rights if I understood him correctly. He was not the head of Aberdeen University I hasten to add! Something by the name of Robert Gordon's University I think.
Trump's organisation even had the confidence to advise the world that Bill Forsyth the maker of Local Hero was a "misinformed jackass".
Then there was the local police force whose officers took Trumps side and arrested the film crew.
Grampian Police by a happy coincidence have today issued a statement to the effect that a wrongful arrest took place. Officers have "been spoken to". Good for them I suppose, but I would have put the officers on trial for assault.

Oh, my point. As well as digging up a Site of Special Scientific Interest and subjecting local residents to a campaign of harassment, the Trump Organisation dug up a couple of hundred trees which they promptly and probably illegally buried.