US tycoon Donald Trump has described his takeover of the Turnberry golf resort in Ayrshire as "an honour and a privilege".

Mr Trump said he intended to invest millions of dollars in Turnberry, one of five Open Championship courses in Scotland.

The takeover was confirmed yesterday after days of speculation.

He said: "It is an honour and privilege to own one of golf's greatest and most exciting properties.

"I intend to invest many millions of dollars in order to bring the hotel to the highest levels of luxury.

"When completed, I believe that the Turnberry Hotel will be the finest and most luxurious hotel in Europe."

The purchase comes two months after Mr Trump pledged to turn his back on the country after losing a legal challenge in a planning row about an offshore wind turbine test centre which he says will spoil the view from his other Scottish golf course, in Aberdeenshire.

Turnberry is home to six restaurants, a spa and five-star hotel which will continue to be managed by Starwood Hotels and Resorts, the Trump Organisation said.

The resort sits on more than 800 acres and has views of the Irish Sea and Isle of Arran.

Mr Trump said the course will not in any way be "touched or altered" other than with the approval of the Royal and Ancient, which organises the Open Championship.

He first set his sights on Scotland more than eight years ago when he promised to build the best golf course in the world on protected sand dunes at the Menie estate to the north of Aberdeen.

Since then, he has been involved in damaging rows with locals and politicians, including First Minister Alex Salmond.

In February, he lost a legal battle over plans to build wind turbines in the North Sea within sight of the resort.