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

Significant Provisional Costs Disclosed

Preliminary expenses amounting to almost £24.5m for the two official trips have been published 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, noting that the American leader held discussions 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 over a five-day period in the summer, while US vice-president Vance spent approximately a long weekend in the Ayrshire region in late summer.

In a formal letter to the Treasury’s chief secretary James Murray, Scotland’s finance secretary stated that the visits placed "significant operational and financial burdens on public services in Scotland, especially the Scottish police force."

The Edinburgh administration estimates that the provisional cost for policing the presidential visit by itself was £21 million, which involved maximum daily assignments of over 4,000 officers, while costs for the vice-president’s trip were about £3m.

Complex Security Mission

This complex security mission was the largest in Scotland since the passing of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, and involved local officers, specialist units, special constables and officers from across the UK for expert assistance.

Robison wrote: "Following your decision not to offer financial support to Scotland for costs incurred in connection with the trip of Donald Trump to the nation in July 2025 and the subsequent trip of VP Vance, I am writing you to request that you review this stance and provide complete repayment for the cost of the trips."

Westminster Response and Previous Example

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

While the Finance Secretary pointed to past instances where the UK government reimbursed the cost of Trump’s 2018 visit to Scotland, it is believed that trip came after a official UK government invitation, in which instance it covered security costs under its statement of funding policy.

"Westminster must take action and pay. I think it’s ridiculous, it was clearly a official trip … Especially when you have the prime minister Keir Starmer meeting with Donald Trump, having press conferences with him, conducting international business with him, its really hard to believe to say this was merely a private holiday trip."