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The British administration is being urged to "take responsibility" and reimburse the £24.5 million expense incurred during the recent visits by Donald Trump and JD Vance to the Scottish nation, according to a senior Holyrood official.

Significant Provisional Costs Revealed

Preliminary costs totalling almost £24.5 million for the pair of working visits have been made public by the Scottish government.

Public Finance Minister McKee described the UK government's unwillingness to provide funding as "ridiculous," arguing that both trips were clearly official, pointing out that the US president held discussions with EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer during his July stay in Scotland.

Particulars of the Trips and Related Security Expenses

Donald Trump toured his golf courses at Turnberry in Ayrshire and Menie in Aberdeenshire over a week-long trip in July, while US vice-president Vance spent approximately a long weekend in Ayrshire in late summer.

In a written communication to the Treasury minister Chief Secretary Murray, Finance Secretary Shona Robison stated that the trips placed "significant operational and financial burdens on public services in Scotland, particularly the Scottish police force."

The Scottish government estimates that the estimated expense for securing the president's trip alone was £21 million, which reflected peak daily deployments of over 4,000 officers, while costs for the vice-president’s trip were approximately £3 million.

Large-Scale Policing Operation

This extensive security mission was the largest in Scotland since the passing of the late Queen in 2022, and included regional police, specialist units, volunteer officers and officers from across the UK for specialist support.

Robison wrote: "Following your choice not to offer financial support to Scotland for costs accrued in connection with the visit of Donald Trump to Scotland in July 2025 and the following visit of Vice-President Vance, I am writing you to ask that you reconsider this stance and provide complete repayment for the expense of the visits."

Westminster Reply and Past Precedent

The British administration stated that the visits were private and "not official UK government business." A representative added: "Holyrood must cover policing costs in Scotland as per agreed devolved funding arrangements."

While the Finance Secretary referenced past instances where the UK government covered the expense of Trump’s 2018 visit to the nation, it is believed that trip followed a formal invitation from Westminster, in which instance it covered protection expenses under its statement of funding policy.

"Westminster needs to step up and cover the cost. I think it’s ridiculous, it was obviously a work visit … Particularly when you have the PM Keir Starmer spending time with the president, having press conferences with them, conducting global diplomacy with him, its really hard to believe to say this was just a private holiday trip."