Scots outraged over Donald Trump’s Irn-Bru ban
US President has ‘declared war’ on Scotland by prohibiting the popular soft drink at his golf course
Donald Trump has risked the fury of the Scottish people by banning Irn-Bru from his luxury golf resort in Ayrshire.
Visitors to his Turnberry resort, which he accquired in 2014, are now unable to purchase the soft drink due to fears its bright orange colouring could stain the carpets, the London Evening Standard reports.
“The ban came to light after guests asked for Irn-Bru to be supplied at an event at the resort, which has recently received a £200m upgrade,” the site adds.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Since its introduction in 1901, the drink has been a firm favourite in Scotland. According to The Scotsman, around 20 cans of Irn-Bru are sold every second there. As a result, Scotland is one of only four countries in the world where Coca-Cola isn’t the best selling soft drink.
Turnberry’s general manager, Ralph Porciani, told the Ayrshire Post: “We can’t have it staining [the carpets] when to replace the ballroom carpet would be £500,000 alone.
“We have villas here with Irn-Bru stains in the carpets which I can’t let.”
The decision to ban the drink has sparked strong reactions on Twitter. Some users have suggested that Trump has “declared war” on Scotland.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Sudoku hard: November 13, 2025The Week's daily hard sudoku puzzle
-
Codeword: November 13, 2025The Week's daily codeword puzzle
-
Who were the ‘weekend snipers’ of Sarajevo?Under the Radar Italian authorities launch investigation into allegations far-right gun enthusiasts paid to travel to Bosnian capital and shoot civilians ‘for fun’ during the four-year siege
-
A free speech debate is raging over sign language at the White HouseTalking Points The administration has been accused of excluding deaf Americans from press briefings
-
‘America today isn’t just looking to overcome’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Is Trump a lame duck president?Talking Points Republicans are considering a post-Trump future
-
Trump pardons 2020 fake electors, other GOP alliesSpeed Read The president pardoned Rudy Giuliani and more who tried to overturn his 2020 election loss
-
Trump’s trade war: has China won?Talking Point US president wanted to punish Beijing, but the Asian superpower now holds the whip hand
-
‘This is where adaptation enters’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Trump ordered to fully fund SNAPSpeed Read The Justice Department is appealing the decision
-
Trump tariffs face stiff scrutiny at Supreme CourtSpeed Read Even some of the Court’s conservative justices appeared skeptical