20/01/2017 Reporting Scotland

Nicola Sturgeon has offered her congratulations to Donald Trump

as he was sworn in as the 45th American President.

She said she hoped that Scotland and the United States would continue

to cooperate and have constructive dialogue on the issues

President Trump's Scottish heritage was in evidence

when he was sworn in using the Bible that his Hebridean mother gave him.

So how have people here been reacting to today's events?

Using a Bible, given to him by his Scottish mother, the new President

of the United States is sworn in, a symbolic act that even thousands of

miles away provokes strong reaction from some. In Glasgow, people took

to the streets to say no to Trump on a day book-ended with protests.

During the morning rush hour, banners were hung from the bridge in

Edinburgh, the message echoed in Aberdeen was a reference to one of

Donald Trump's most notorious campaigns. I would use the word

solidarity, people think differently to Donald Trump and want a different

world to the one he described in the presidential elections. One he won

at the dismay of these students. Their approach to Inauguration Day

is somewhat different. I don't want to play into his ego and watch it.

I'm personally not going to watch it. I think that is an opinion that

a lot of people, at least on this campus here. There are different

views. A voter living in the Scottish Borders, Kimberley, is a

Trump supporter. For her, the next four years are full of promise. I'm

quite optimistic. The only thing that I think really can get in his

way, sometimes is himself. I hope somebody filters his Twitter

account. Remember Trump's a nice guy. Donald Trump's Aberdeenshire

golf club tonight hosts a private party. The snooker was preferred

viewing in some places. In this pub, it competed for customers'

attention. He has no credibility but the American people voted for him

so... Very fearful. It's a good thing for politics, it will shake-up

the tree, make it different. In contrast to President Obama's

inauguration eight years ago, the official response from Scotland has

been somewhat muted. In a statement, the First Minister congratulated the

new President on taking office, adding that she hoped he'd uphold

shared fundamental values of tolerance, equality and human

rights. Not since before the Civil War has a

US President had such strong links with Scotland. Now that Donald Trump

is in power, the question Scots share with the world is what happens

next. Congratulations...

Earlier I spoke to the SNP Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Alex Salmond,

who was First Minister of Scotland when drunk was developing his golf

We were in agreement that everything was hunk hunkiderry, I was the

greatest politician on the planet! But I went from the greatest

politician to mad Alex with no intervening period whatsoever. So

when you agree with Donald things are fine, it's when disagreements

start he goes into the Stratosphere. So how does that assessment and

experience lead you to think he might be leader of the free world?

Well, I hope the awesome responsibility of office changes the

man because if it doesn't, we are in for a very Rocky ride indeed

because, even if you are President of the United States, somebody will

disagree with him and it's how he reacts to that. It's the character

problem that I see as a main danger. If you take the inauguration speech

today, I mean it was shorter, angrier, campaign rhetoric, there

was much less than I expected of reaching out to all the Americans

who voted for him. There was a lot of God in it. Maybe it's a case of

may God bless America and God help the rest of us!

Meanwhile, guests at the resort on the Menie estate in Aberdeenshire

have been toasting the new President at a Burns Supper as they gave their

Members there say they fully support the new President. I wish him every

success. I've listened to the inauguration speech he made which

was certainly a very interesting speech. I think it's pretty

exceptional. I think it's great having a Scot-American as President

of the US who's not only going to be good for Aberdeen but the UK.

The managing Director of The ScotRail Alliance

is leaving his job to take up a new role in England.

Phil Verster has faced intense pressure in recent months

because ScotRail's services have failed to meet targets

Our Transport Correspondent, David Henderson, reports.

He's been the high profile boss of Scotland's main train operator and,

for months, Phil Verster has been a conductor for discontent as

passengers and politicians took aim at ScotRail. But the New Year brings

a new job. He's moving on. What do rail passengers think? It's not

always problem free. He can't take the blame for everything but he's at

the top of the company and that's what happens. He's not to blame

solely. He's to take the blame, whether Network Rail also needs to

be implicated in this. He took charge of the firm less than two

years ago. Last summer though, a big work

programme began on the network, disrupting ScotRail services. More

trains were late, more cancel and the Scottish Government called for

an improve. Improvement. Since then, performance has picked up but it's

still below where it should be. That brought huge pressure on ScotRail

and Phil Verster. The most there's been tension. Earlier this week, in

evidence to MSPs, he seemed to cast doubt on ScotRail's commitment to a

free travel scheme promised in the Scottish Government Budget. This is

where we are. We are busy discussing this with transport Scotland and I

prefer not to commit yet. There's been certain tensions between him

and the Scottish Government and whoever comes in, the Scottish

Government cannot allow that to happen and to allow services to

suffer on the network. Warm words from the Scottish Government, they

wish him well, for whoever replaces him, expectations are high and the

challenge is clear. The weather outlook for tonight,

tomorrow and indeed the weekend now with Christopher.

It's been an all-or-nothing day, many of us having the cloud. You can

see the division on the satellite picture, plenty of sunshine further

north and south of the border. Tomorrow, that dry, clean air comes

our way. More sunshine for many more of us. Still cloudy through central

parts. The cloud will thin and break and it will turn fairly frosty. High

pressure still in charge as it will be throughout the course of the

pressure still in charge as it will weekend and, bear in mind central

and southern parts over the last few nights have been cloudy and mild.

Tomorrow, a bit of a shock, it's going to be a cold, frosty start.

There could be some stubborn fog patches around too. They should go

and for most of us, it's dry, bright, crisp and cold. Stubborn

cloud around Tayside towards Perthshire but for many, a lovely

day in store. Stubborn cloud in eastern counties of England from

Newcastle down towards East Anglia, in towards the south-west as well.

The spine of England generally bright and sunny. Cloudy for

northern England. By far we'll have the best of any sunshine tomorrow.

What a difference compared with the last few days for central and

southern Scotland where it's been cloudy and gloomy. There is the

stubborn area of cloud which hopefully should clear. A beautiful

day today across areas across the north-east and north-west. Tomorrow

more of the same really, with some cloud coming and going at times.

Shetland, some more cloud for you and it will be a cold, winter's day.

Looking to Sunday, all change. Still chilly but it will be cloudy and

grey. A few showers in the south and west

and highs of five. That is Reporting Scotland. From

everyone on the late team, goodbye.