A legal challenge to a planned offshore wind farm on the Aberdeenshire coast has been rejected by the UK's Supreme Court.

Presidential candidate Donald Trump made the challenge after developers put forward plans to site 11 turbines close to the businessman's golfing development at the Menie Estate near Aberdeen.

The US entrepreneur claimed the European Offshore Wind Deployment Centre (EOWDC) project would spoil the view from his golf links.

The long-running challenge began more than two years ago when the Scottish Government granted planning permission for the development.

A series of legal challenges were made to the Scottish courts, before the fight was taken to the UK's Supreme Court in London.

Mr Trump argued that planning consent for the wind farm was so imprecise as to make it legally invalid.

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However, judges unanimously rejected the challenge.

The Trump Organisation said: "This is an extremely unfortunate verdict for the residents of Aberdeen and anyone who cares about Scotland's economic future.

"The EOWDC (European Offshore Wind Deployment Centre) will completely destroy the bucolic Aberdeen Bay and cast a terrible shadow upon the future of tourism for the area.

"History will judge those involved unfavourably and the outcome demonstrates the foolish, small-minded and parochial mentality which dominates the current Scottish government's dangerous experiment with wind energy.

"We will evaluate the court's decision and continue to fight this proposal on every possible front."

Andy Paine, project director for Aberdeen Offshore Wind Farm, said: "This is another significant step forward for the EOWDC.

"It affirms the scheme's potential to position Scotland, and particularly the north east, as a centre of innovative offshore wind power."

Scottish Energy Minister Fergus Ewing added: "I am pleased that the Supreme Court has unanimously found in our favour.

"The proposed European Offshore Wind Deployment Centre is an important project for Aberdeen and north-east Scotland.

"It will give the industry the ability to test and demonstrate new technologies to enable costs to be further reduced."

The EOWDC is a joint venture by Vattenfall Wind Power and Aberdeen Renewable Energy Group.

The companies claim the project is capable for powering up to 68,000 homes annually.

(LM/MH)