President Donald Trump's golf course company has been ordered to pay almost £250,000 in legal expenses to the Scottish Government following a court battle over a wind farm.

The US president mounted a lengthy challenge against plans for an 11-turbine scheme off the Aberdeenshire coast, claiming it would spoil the view from his Balmedie golf course.

Now, almost four years after his case was dismissed at the UK Supreme Court, Trump International Golf Club Scotland Ltd has been told to pay £225,000 in legal fees to Scottish ministers.

READ MORE: Hotel developer unveiled as buyer of Glasgow site

A Scottish Government spokesman said: "We can confirm that settlement has now been reached - and this has removed the need for the expenses to be determined by the auditor of the Court of Session.

"Expenses amounting to £225,000 will now be paid to Scottish ministers by the petitioners."

Mr Trump launched the legal challenge against Vattenfall's European Offshore Wind Deployment Centre, which began operating this summer after the Scottish Government granted planning approval in 2013.

Supermarkets have seen a slow start to the crucial festive period despite shoppers already spending £17 million on mince pies and £3 million on Christmas puddings, figures show.

Slowing growth in the overall market saw sales at Asda and Morrisons fall by 1.2% and 1.7% respectively, while Sainsbury's and Tesco proved slightly more resilient with drops of 0.2% and 0.6% in the past 12 weeks, Kantar said.

READ MORE: Bathgate haulage firm goes into administration with loss of 66 jobs

The UK's largest supermarket recently unveiled its new Clubcard Plus offer which gives subscribers 10% off two large shops each month, and some 1.8 million households made at least two trips to the retailer worth £50 or more in the past four weeks.

Lidl was the fastest growing bricks and mortar retailer this period with sales up by 8.8%, while Co-op has grown continuously since May last year and saw sales increase again this period with year-on-year growth currently at 4.4%.

Year-on-year supermarket sales overall grew by 1%, down slightly on last month, against a backdrop of political uncertainty and a persistently wet autumn, as retailers turned their attention from Halloween to Christmas.

Fraser McKevitt, head of retail and consumer insight at Kantar, said: "This year pumpkin sales were up by 6% in October as the public geared up for Halloween - with more than a tenth of British households taking one home. In the past decade pumpkin sales have increased by 62% - a telling barometer of how retailers have found success by increasing focus on seasonal spend."

The editor of the Financial Times newspaper, Lionel Barber, has announced he will quit after 14 years, and named his successor as deputy editor Roula Khalaf, who is also the first female editor.

READ MORE: Boost for Scottish engineering

Revealing his departure on Twitter, he said: "Some personal news. After 14 years, I am stepping down as editor in the New Year.

"It has been a rare privilege and a great pleasure to hold the best job in journalism."

He went on to tweet: "Congratulations @khalafroula on being the next editor @FinancialTimes  A great journalist and leader of the next FT chapter #Leave