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The British administration is being urged to "take responsibility" and reimburse the £24.5m expense incurred during the recent visits by former President Trump and JD Vance to the Scottish nation, according to a top Scottish minister.

Substantial Estimated Expenses Disclosed

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

Public Finance Minister McKee labeled the UK government's unwillingness to provide funding as "ridiculous," arguing that both visits were obviously work-related, pointing out that the US president held discussions with European Union chief the EU's von der Leyen and UK prime minister Keir Starmer during his summer stay in the northern nation.

Particulars of the Visits and Associated Policing Costs

Donald Trump toured his golfing resorts at Turnberry in Ayrshire and Menie in Aberdeenshire over a week-long period in the summer, while American VP JD Vance spent approximately a long weekend in the Ayrshire region in late summer.

In a written communication to the Treasury minister Chief Secretary Murray, Finance Secretary Shona Robison stated that the trips placed "substantial strains and costs on Scottish public services, particularly Police Scotland."

The Edinburgh administration estimates that the estimated expense for policing the presidential visit alone was £21m, which involved maximum daily assignments of over 4,000 officers, while costs for the VP's visit were approximately £3m.

Large-Scale Security Mission

This complex security mission was the biggest in Scotland since the death of the late Queen in 2022, and included regional police, national divisions, special constables and wider UK colleagues for specialist support.

Robison stated: "Following your decision not to provide funding to the Scottish government for expenses accrued in connection with the visit of Donald Trump to the nation in summer 2025 and the subsequent trip of VP Vance, I am writing you to ask that you reconsider this stance and offer complete repayment for the expense of the trips."

Westminster Reply and Past Precedent

The British administration stated that the trips were personal and "not part of official government duties." A representative commented: "Holyrood are responsible for policing costs in the country as per agreed devolved funding arrangements."

While the Finance Secretary referenced past instances where the British administration reimbursed the expense of the president's 2018 trip to the nation, it is believed that trip followed a official UK government invitation, in which case it included security costs under its statement of funding policy.

"Westminster must take action and cover the cost. I think it’s ridiculous, it was clearly a official trip … Especially when you have the PM Sir Keir spending time with Donald Trump, holding joint briefings with them, conducting international business with them, its really hard to believe to say this was merely a personal vacation."