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The UK government is being called upon to "step up" and cover the £24.5m expense incurred during recent trips by former President Trump and JD Vance to Scotland, according to a senior Scottish minister.

Substantial Provisional Costs Revealed

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

Ivan McKee labeled the Westminster's unwillingness to provide funding as "absurd," arguing that both trips were clearly official, pointing out that the US president held meetings with EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and UK prime minister Keir Starmer during his July stay in Scotland.

Particulars of the Visits and Associated Security Expenses

The former president toured his golfing resorts at Turnberry in Ayrshire and Menie in Aberdeenshire over a five-day period in the summer, while US vice-president Vance spent around a long weekend in the Ayrshire region in late summer.

In a written communication to the Treasury’s chief secretary Chief Secretary Murray, Scotland’s finance secretary stated that the visits placed "significant operational and financial burdens on Scottish public services, especially Police Scotland."

The Edinburgh administration estimates that the estimated expense for securing the presidential visit alone was £21 million, which reflected maximum daily assignments of over four thousand police, while expenses for the VP's visit were about £3m.

Large-Scale Policing Operation

This extensive policing operation was the biggest in Scotland since the death of the late Queen in 2022, and involved local officers, national divisions, special constables and officers from across the UK for expert assistance.

The Finance Secretary wrote: "After your decision not to provide funding to the Scottish government for expenses incurred in relation to the visit of President Donald Trump to Scotland in July 2025 and the subsequent visit of Vice-President JD Vance, I am writing you to ask that you reconsider this stance and offer full reimbursement for the expense of the visits."

Westminster Reply and Previous Example

The British administration stated that the visits were personal and "not official UK government business." A representative added: "Holyrood must cover security expenses in Scotland as per agreed funding agreements for devolved matters."

While Robison referenced previous precedent where the British administration reimbursed the cost of the president's 2018 trip to Scotland, it is understood that trip followed a formal UK government invitation, in which instance it covered protection expenses under its funding guidelines.

"The UK government needs to step up and pay. I think it’s ridiculous, it was clearly a work visit … Especially when you have the prime minister Keir Starmer spending time with Donald Trump, holding joint briefings with them, conducting international business with him, its really hard to believe to say this was merely a personal vacation."