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The UK government is being urged to "take responsibility" and reimburse the £24.5 million expense incurred during recent trips by Donald Trump and JD Vance to Scotland, according to a senior Scottish minister.

Significant Estimated Expenses Revealed

Preliminary costs amounting to nearly £24.5m for the pair of official trips have been made public by the Scottish government.

Ivan McKee labeled the UK government's refusal to offer financial support as "ridiculous," stating that both trips were clearly official, noting that the American leader held meetings with European Union chief the EU's von der Leyen and UK prime minister Keir Starmer during his July stay in the northern nation.

Details of the Visits and Related Security Expenses

The former president visited his golf courses at Turnberry in Ayrshire and Menie in Aberdeenshire over a week-long period in the summer, while US vice-president Vance spent around four days in Ayrshire in late summer.

In a formal letter to the Treasury’s chief secretary Chief Secretary Murray, Scotland’s finance secretary stated that the trips placed "substantial strains and costs on public services in Scotland, particularly Police Scotland."

The Scottish government calculates that the provisional cost for securing the presidential visit by itself was £21 million, which reflected maximum daily assignments of over four thousand police, while expenses for the VP's visit were approximately £3 million.

Complex Security Mission

This complex policing operation was the largest in the country since the passing of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, and included regional police, national divisions, volunteer officers and wider UK colleagues for specialist support.

The Finance Secretary stated: "Following your decision not to offer financial support to the Scottish government for costs accrued in relation to the trip of Donald Trump to the nation in summer 2025 and the subsequent visit of VP Vance, I am contacting you to ask that you review this stance and offer complete repayment for the expense of the visits."

UK Government Response and Previous Example

The UK government maintained that the visits were private and "not official UK government business." A representative commented: "Holyrood must cover policing costs in the country as per established funding agreements for devolved matters."

While Robison referenced previous precedent where the British administration covered the cost of Trump’s 2018 visit to the nation, it is believed that trip came after a formal invitation from Westminster, in which instance it covered protection expenses under its statement of funding policy.

"Westminster must take action and pay. I think it’s ridiculous, it was clearly a work visit … Particularly when you have the PM Keir Starmer meeting with the president, having press conferences with him, conducting international business with them, its really hard to believe to say this was just a personal vacation."