11 July 2012 Last updated at 19:48 ET

Golf's Scottish Open tees off at Castle Stuart links

Luke Donald has returned to Castle Stuart to defend his title

Golf's Scottish Open has got under way at the Castle Stuart links course, near Inverness.

Last year's championship was cut from 72 to 54 holes following torrential downpours.

A report later released by Highlands and Islands Enterprise suggested the event still managed to contribute more than £5m to the Scottish economy.

About 43,000 people attended the competition over the three days when play took place.

It was won by world number one player Luke Donald, who has returned to defend the title.

Financial company Aberdeen Asset Management announced in March that it would sponsor the Open for the next three years.

The event had been without a sponsor since last year when Barclays withdrew its backing. It had sponsored the tournament for 10 years.

A pro-am event was held at Castle Stuart on Wednesday ahead of the professional championship.

The Ryder Cup trophy will also be on display at the course during the Open.

European and US teams will compete for the trophy at Medinah Country Club, in Illinois, in September.