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The British administration is being called upon to "take responsibility" and cover the £24.5 million cost incurred during recent trips by former President Trump and JD Vance to Scotland, according to a senior Holyrood official.

Significant Provisional Costs Revealed

Preliminary costs totalling almost £24.5m for the pair of official trips have been published by the administration in Edinburgh.

Public Finance Minister McKee labeled the UK government's refusal to offer financial support as "ridiculous," arguing that both visits were obviously official, noting that the US president held meetings with European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen and British PM Sir Keir Starmer during his summer stay in Scotland.

Particulars of the Trips and Associated Policing Costs

The former president toured his golf courses at Turnberry in Ayrshire and Menie over a five-day period in July, while US vice-president JD Vance spent around a long weekend in Ayrshire in late summer.

In a written communication to the Treasury minister Chief Secretary Murray, Finance Secretary Shona Robison stated that the visits placed "significant operational and financial burdens on Scottish public services, especially the Scottish police force."

The Scottish government estimates that the estimated expense for policing the presidential visit alone was £21 million, which involved maximum daily assignments of more than 4,000 officers, while expenses for the VP's visit were approximately £3 million.

Complex Policing Operation

This extensive policing operation was the biggest in Scotland since the passing of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, and involved regional police, national divisions, volunteer officers and officers from across the UK for specialist support.

The Finance Secretary stated: "Following your decision not to offer financial support to the Scottish government for expenses accrued in relation to the trip of President Donald Trump to the nation 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."

UK Government Reply and Past Precedent

The British administration stated that the trips were personal and "not part of official government duties." A spokesperson added: "Holyrood must cover security expenses in Scotland as per agreed devolved funding arrangements."

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

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