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The UK government is being called upon to "step up" and reimburse the £24.5m cost incurred during the recent trips by former President Trump and JD Vance to the Scottish nation, according to a senior Holyrood official.

Substantial Provisional Costs Disclosed

Preliminary costs amounting to almost £24.5 million for the two working visits have been published by the Scottish government.

Public Finance Minister McKee described the UK government's refusal to offer financial support as "absurd," arguing that both trips were clearly official, pointing out that the American leader held meetings with European Union chief the EU's von der Leyen and British PM Keir Starmer during his summer stay in the northern nation.

Details of the Visits and Related Security Expenses

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

In a formal letter to the Treasury minister James Murray, Finance Secretary Shona Robison wrote that the trips placed "substantial operational and financial burdens on public services in Scotland, especially Police Scotland."

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

Large-Scale Security Mission

This extensive policing operation was the biggest in Scotland since the passing of the late Queen in 2022, and included regional police, national divisions, volunteer officers and officers from across the UK for expert assistance.

Robison stated: "After your decision not to offer financial support to Scotland for expenses accrued in connection with the trip of Donald Trump to Scotland in July 2025 and the subsequent trip of VP Vance, I am contacting you to ask that you review this stance and offer full reimbursement for the cost of the visits."

Westminster Response and Past Precedent

The British administration maintained that the trips were private and "not official UK government business." A representative added: "Holyrood are responsible for policing costs in Scotland as per agreed devolved funding arrangements."

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

"The UK government needs to step up and pay. I think it’s ridiculous, it was clearly a official trip … Particularly when you have the PM Sir Keir spending time with Donald Trump, holding joint briefings with him, conducting international business with them, its really stretching the bounds of credibility to say this was merely a personal vacation."