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The UK government is being called upon to "take responsibility" and reimburse the £24.5 million cost incurred during the recent trips by Donald Trump and Vice-President Vance to Scotland, according to a top Holyrood official.

Substantial Estimated Expenses Disclosed

Preliminary expenses amounting to almost £24.5m for the two official trips have been published by the administration in Edinburgh.

Public Finance Minister McKee labeled the UK government's unwillingness to offer financial support as "absurd," arguing that both visits were obviously work-related, noting that the US president held discussions with European Union chief the EU's von der Leyen and UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer during his July visit in Scotland.

Details of the Trips and Related Policing Costs

Donald Trump toured his golfing resorts at Turnberry in Ayrshire and Menie over a week-long period in the summer, while US vice-president JD Vance spent approximately four days in Ayrshire in August.

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

The Edinburgh administration estimates that the provisional cost for securing the president's trip by itself was £21 million, which reflected peak daily deployments of over four thousand police, while costs for the VP's visit were approximately £3m.

Complex Security Mission

This complex policing operation was the biggest in Scotland since the death of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, and included local officers, national divisions, special constables and wider UK colleagues for expert assistance.

Robison stated: "After your choice not to offer financial support to Scotland for expenses incurred in connection with the trip of Donald Trump to the nation in July 2025 and the subsequent trip of Vice-President JD Vance, I am contacting you to ask that you reconsider this decision and offer complete repayment for the expense of the trips."

UK Government Reply and Previous Example

The British administration maintained that the trips were personal and "not part of official government duties." A representative commented: "The Scottish government are responsible for policing costs in Scotland as per established funding agreements for devolved matters."

While the Finance Secretary referenced previous precedent where the British administration covered the cost of the president's 2018 trip to the nation, it is understood that trip followed a formal UK government invitation, in which case it included security costs under its statement of funding policy.

"Westminster needs to step up and cover the cost. I think it’s ridiculous, it was clearly a official trip … Particularly when you have the PM Keir Starmer spending time with the president, having press conferences with them, conducting international business with him, its really stretching the bounds of credibility to say this was merely a private holiday trip."