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The UK government is being urged to "take responsibility" and cover the £24.5m cost incurred during recent visits by former President Trump and Vice-President Vance to Scotland, according to a top Scottish minister.

Significant Provisional Costs Disclosed

Provisional expenses totalling nearly £24.5m for the two official trips have been published by the administration in Edinburgh.

Ivan McKee described the Westminster's unwillingness to offer financial support as "ridiculous," stating that both visits were obviously work-related, pointing out that the US president held meetings with EU Commission president the EU's von der Leyen and British PM Sir Keir Starmer during his summer visit in Scotland.

Particulars of the Trips and Associated Policing Costs

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

In a formal letter to the Treasury minister James Murray, Finance Secretary Shona Robison wrote that the visits placed "significant strains and costs on Scottish public services, especially the Scottish police force."

The Edinburgh administration calculates that the provisional cost for securing the president's trip alone was £21 million, which reflected maximum daily assignments of more than 4,000 officers, while costs for the VP's visit were about £3m.

Large-Scale Policing Operation

This extensive policing operation was the biggest in Scotland since the passing of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, and included local officers, national divisions, volunteer officers and officers from across the UK for specialist support.

The Finance Secretary wrote: "After your decision not to provide funding to Scotland for expenses accrued in connection with the visit of Donald Trump to Scotland in summer 2025 and the following visit of Vice-President JD Vance, I am contacting you to ask that you review this stance and provide complete repayment for the cost of the visits."

UK Government Response and Past Precedent

The British administration maintained that the visits were private and "not part of official government duties." A spokesperson added: "Holyrood must cover policing costs in Scotland as per agreed funding agreements for devolved matters."

While the Finance Secretary pointed to previous precedent where the British administration reimbursed the cost of Trump’s 2018 visit to Scotland, it is understood that visit followed a formal UK government invitation, in which case it covered security costs under its statement of funding policy.

"Westminster needs to step up and pay. I think it’s unreasonable, it was clearly a work visit … Particularly when you have the PM Sir Keir spending time with Donald Trump, having press conferences with him, conducting international business with him, its really hard to believe to say this was just a private holiday trip."