US tycoon Donald Trump has submitted plans for a second golf course at his £750m Merie Estate resort in Aberdeenshire.

Trump International Golf Links, which opened the first 22-acre Donald J. Trump’s championship course seven months ago, has submitted preliminary plans to Aberdeenshire County Council for a second golf course at the resort.

If approved, the second course will occupy several hundred acres on the southern side of the site and be named “The Mary MacLeod Course” after Trump’s Scottish born mother.

Designed by Martin Hawtree, the 18-hole course would provide greater capacity for golfers, tournaments and events at the estate.

Trump, who will be visiting the north-east of Scotland in April to open the second season of his championship links course said: “Once again Martin Hawtree’s design is genius - we have the greatest piece of links land in the world and the unprecedented demand to play our championship course has accelerated our plans to build the second course.”

Martin Hawtree said: “The special and subtle challenge for me is to ensure that it sits comfortably beside its majestic neighbour, neither outshone by the existing course nor making any attempt to mimic or rival those Leviathan qualities.”