US presidential candidate and golf course owner Donald Trump has begun the latest round in his legal fight against a Scottish offshore wind farm project.

The Republican billionaire wants five Supreme Court justices to allow his appeal over the 11-turbine scheme off the Aberdeenshire coast, which was approved by the Scottish government in 2013.

Mr Trump, who was not at the hearing in London today, says the wind farm will spoil the view from his luxury golf links at the Menie Estate, about 3.5 kilometres away, which he bought and developed in 2006.

Previously, the 69-year-old businessman, whose mother was Scottish, has described turbines as "ugly monstrosities" and has said he would pull the plug on further plans for the resort near Balmedie if the project goes ahead.

The European Offshore Wind Deployment Centre (EOWDC) is a joint venture by Vattenfall Wind Power and Aberdeen Renewable Energy Group, who say the turbines would be capable of yielding enough electricity to power 68,000 UK households over a year.

After two defeats in the Scottish courts, lawyers for Mr Trump are asking a panel headed by Lord Neuberger to rule on the correct construction of the Electricity Act 1989 and whether a condition attached to the consent for the wind farm was "so imprecise and uncertain" that it was unenforceable and destroyed the consent.

The consent granted by the Scottish government, in March 2013, was subject to a condition requiring the submission of a detailed design statement for approval before the development was started.

The justices are expected to reserve their decision at the end of the contested day-long hearing.