US President Donald Trump has said a second independence referendum would be "terrible" for Scotland.

Trump, whose mother was Scottish, also expressed concerns over the Open Championship if the country did get independence from the UK.

He said he wants to be "very involved" with the UK because "you don't hear the word Britain any more".

The US president made the comments after tweeting that a US-UK trade deal could be "very big and exciting".

In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Trump expressed concern over a second Scottish independence referendum.

He said: "It would be terrible. They just went through Hell."

On the future of the Open Championship, he said: "What would they do with the British Open if they ever got out? They'd no longer have the British Open."

The UK Government has said Brexit offers an "unprecedented opportunity" to reshape Britain's trading ambitions, although what that may mean for aspects such as food and agriculture has already proved controversial.

His comments came as International Trade Secretary Liam Fox was in Washington for talks with US trade representative Robert Lighthizer.

The meeting came after critics raised fears British markets could be opened up to US agricultural products currently blocked by EU food standards rules, including controversial chlorine-washed chicken.