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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 JD Vance to the Scottish nation, according to a senior Scottish minister.

Substantial Estimated Expenses Disclosed

Provisional expenses amounting to almost £24.5 million for the pair of working visits have been made public by the Scottish government.

Public Finance Minister McKee labeled the Westminster's refusal to offer financial support as "ridiculous," arguing that both visits were clearly official, pointing out that the American leader held meetings with European Union chief the EU's von der Leyen and UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer during his summer stay in Scotland.

Particulars of the Visits and Related Policing Costs

Donald Trump toured his golf courses at Turnberry and Menie over a five-day trip in the summer, while American VP Vance spent approximately four days in the Ayrshire region in August.

In a written communication to the Treasury’s chief secretary Chief Secretary Murray, Finance Secretary Shona Robison wrote that the visits placed "substantial operational and financial burdens on Scottish public services, particularly the Scottish police force."

The Edinburgh administration estimates that the provisional cost for securing the presidential visit alone was £21 million, which reflected peak daily deployments of more than four thousand police, while expenses for the VP's visit were about £3 million.

Complex Policing Operation

This complex policing operation was the largest in Scotland since the death of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, and involved regional police, specialist units, special constables and wider UK colleagues for expert assistance.

Robison wrote: "After your choice not to provide funding to the Scottish government for expenses accrued in relation to the trip of President Donald Trump to the nation in July 2025 and the following visit of VP JD Vance, I am contacting you to request that you reconsider this decision and provide full reimbursement for the cost of the trips."

UK Government Response and Previous Example

The UK government maintained that the visits were personal and "not part of official government duties." A spokesperson added: "Holyrood are responsible for security expenses in Scotland as per agreed funding agreements for devolved matters."

While the Finance Secretary pointed to previous precedent where the British administration reimbursed the expense of Trump’s 2018 visit to the nation, it is understood that visit came after a official invitation from Westminster, in which instance it covered protection expenses under its statement of funding policy.

"The UK government must take action and cover the cost. I think it’s ridiculous, it was obviously a official trip … Particularly when you have the PM Sir Keir spending time with Donald Trump, having press conferences with him, engaging in global diplomacy with them, its really hard to believe to say this was just a personal vacation."