The meeting took place over tea and biscuits, is understood to have lasted about 50 minutes and solely focused on Trump’s golf resorts, according to his son.

It comes after the first minister said he did not think it would be appropriate for Donald Trump to be offered a second state visit to the UK.

It is understood Eric Trump flew into Edinburgh Airport earlier on Thursday.

Trump Turnberry, the resort in Ayrshire, was vandalised by a pro-Palestinian group over the weekend.

Red paint was daubed over one of the buildings. The words “Gaza is not for sale” were sprayed across one green and another green appeared to have been dug up.

After the meeting, which also included Sarah Malone – executive vice president of Trump International – the Scottish government said the first minister “regularly meets with business people”.

A spokesperson said: “The meeting with Mr Trump provided an opportunity to discuss Scotland’s investment potential and the first minister was pleased to hear about the company’s continued commitment to Scotland, in particular Aberdeenshire and Ayrshire.”

Eric Trump said the meeting was “very warm and friendly” and that he was thanked for the Trump Organization’s investment in Scotland.

He said: “Our discussions focused solely on the Trump Organisation’s commitment to creating in Trump Turnberry and Trump International in Aberdeenshire two of the most iconic golf destinations in the world.

“We did not discuss Scottish or US politics but concentrated on golf. It was a very positive and constructive meeting about business and investment.”

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer used a US visit earlier this month to present Donald Trump with a letter from the King, offering an initial meeting in Scotland to discuss the logistics of a second state visit.

Second-term US presidents are traditionally not offered state visits and have instead been invited for tea or lunch with the monarch, usually at Windsor Castle.

The King invited President Trump to meet him at either Balmoral or Dumfries House – which are both near the Trump resorts.

Balmoral is only about 58 miles (93km) from the Trump International golf resort in Menie, where the president is due to open a new course named after his mother this summer.

The following day the US President had a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, which spiralled into a fiery showdown.

Trump accused Zelensky of “gambling with World War Three” and, alongside Vice-President JD Vance, demanded that he show more gratitude for years of US support.

The Ukrainian president pushed back at suggestions from his more powerful partners that he should work harder to agree a ceasefire with Vladimir Putin. They responded that he was being “disrespectful”.

A number of SNP MPs have criticised the prime minister’s relationship with Trump on social media, including the party’s Westminster leader Stephen Flynn who said Starmer “better get back up off his knees and revoke that offer of a state visit”.

Taking a different tone from colleagues, Swinney said he welcomed the role the prime minister was taking and that he supported him trying to find a way through a difficult situation.

But he added that he could not see how a state visit could go ahead if Trump was “not a steadfast ally of ours in protecting the future of Ukraine”.

Swinney has previously said he would use Trump’s affinity for Scotland in a bid to avoid tariffs being applied on imports to the US, particularly on Scotch whisky.

He had publicly backed Harris, the Democratic nominee, in the run up to the 2024 presidential election.

But he had a phone conversation with the new president in December and said afterwards Trump had been keen to “express his enthusiasm for Scotland”.

The Scottish Greens, who previously said Trump is not welcome in Scotland, said the decision to meet Eric Trump was “totally inappropriate” and sent a “terrible message”.

Co-leader Lorna Slater added: “When it comes to the Trumps, the line between business and politics has always been blurred.”

John Swinney said he had expressed the importance of trade between the countries, especially Scotch whisky, during a call he held with the US president-elect last month.

He said the issue of taxes was not directly discussed but said Trump spoke warmly about his Scottish roots and business links.

Trump, who will be inaugurated on 20 January, has repeatedly vowed to introduce tariffs on all imports to the US.

Swinney said he spoke to the president-elect a few weeks ago during a call instigated by Trump.

And the first minister, who publicly backed Kamala Harris before the US election, said the president-elect was open to further calls between the pair.

Swinney told BBC Scotland’s The Sunday Show Trump wanted the call to “express his enthusiasm for Scotland”.

He also said he was “very warm and positive” about the country where his mother was born in 1912.

Swinney said they did not specifically discuss tariffs, but he had expressed the importance that he attached to trade for the whisky industry.

He said: “I will use that as a basis of proceeding with negotiations in discussions with President Trump.

“What he also said in the call was if I ever needed a further conversation with him, he’d be very welcome to taking that forward.”

During his campaign, Trump repeatedly promised to impose a blanket 20% tariff on all imports into the US, and a 60% tax on imports from China.

Analysis suggested that if he followed through with his plans, it could cost the UK £22bn.

The first minister said Trump also spoke of his love for Scotland during their call on 10 December.

Swinney said: “He’s very positive about Scotland, he’s enthused about Scotland, he talked very warmly about his mum’s roots in Lewis.

“He talked about his pride in the business interests that he’s taken forward at Turnberry and at Balmedie in the golf courses.

“So he’s got an affinity and a warmth towards Scotland and if that means it helps us to avoid tariffs that might be damaging to legitimate and important, critical, economic interests in Scotland then don’t be surprised if this first minister of Scotland uses that channel to try to secure that outcome.”

Trump’s mother, Mary Anne MacLeod, was born on Lewis in the Outer Hebrides and emigrated to the US when she was 18.

He is expected to visit Scotland this summer to mark the opening of his new golf course in Aberdeenshire at his Balmenie resort.

The president-elect also owns the Trump Turnberry golf resort in Ayrshire.

Swinney’s decision to back Harris was described as an “insult” by his company, Trump International, given the Republican’s candidate’s business interests in Scotland.

His son, Eric, later described the decision as “nasty” but added Trump “is not going to lose any sleep” over the remarks.

Swinney also told the programme his government was working with the UK government to address the dangers social media presented to young people.

The first minister said: “We have got to be clear that we get the regulation about social media giants correct to protect people in our society.”

He added that the Scottish government had limited powers to make changes to the law in this area.

But Swinney agreed with the father of Molly Russell – who took her own life at 14 after seeing harmful content online – that ministers had to do more to protect young people.

And he conceded his government could possibly take a different approach by treating it as a public health issue.

This strategy was used in 2018 when minimum unit pricing for alcohol was introduced in Scotland.

Also on the programme, Swinney was asked about comments Nicola Sturgeon made about her late predecessor, Alex Salmond.

Sturgeon said in an interview with the Financial Times newspaper that Salmond, who died in October, “would be really rough on people,” adding that “many times [she] intervened to stop him.”

Swinney told the Sunday Show: “I think it’s pretty well documented that Alex could be quite brisk with people and sometimes we all witnessed that.

“And sometimes we all had to say look, that’s not on. And that’s the way it was.”

Salmond’s widow, Moira, later said recent comments about her husband had caused the family “great distress”.

In a statement, released to the Press Association, Ms Salmond said: “Those attacking him must know that the law does not allow us, his family, to protect his reputation from being defamed now that he is gone.

“Attacks by the living on the dead will seem to many as deeply unfair.

“My wish, and sincere hope, is that these attacks will now stop.”