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

Significant Estimated Expenses Revealed

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

Public Finance Minister McKee described the Westminster's refusal to offer financial support as "ridiculous," stating that both visits were clearly work-related, pointing out that the US president held meetings with EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and British PM Keir Starmer during his July stay in the northern nation.

Details of the Trips and Associated Security Expenses

Donald Trump visited his golf courses at Turnberry and Menie in Aberdeenshire over a week-long trip in July, while US vice-president JD Vance spent around four days in the Ayrshire region in late summer.

In a written communication to the Treasury’s chief secretary Chief Secretary Murray, Finance Secretary Shona Robison wrote that the visits placed "significant strains and costs on public services in Scotland, particularly Police Scotland."

The Scottish government estimates that the provisional cost for policing the president's trip by itself was £21m, which reflected maximum daily assignments of over 4,000 officers, while expenses for the vice-president’s trip were approximately £3m.

Complex Policing Operation

This complex policing operation was the largest in the country since the death of the late Queen in 2022, and included regional police, national divisions, special constables and officers from across the UK for specialist support.

The Finance Secretary wrote: "Following your decision not to offer financial support to Scotland for costs accrued in relation to the visit of President Donald Trump to the nation in July 2025 and the subsequent visit of Vice-President JD Vance, I am contacting you to ask that you review this stance and provide full reimbursement for the cost of the visits."

Westminster Response and Previous Example

The British administration stated that the trips were private and "not official UK government business." A spokesperson added: "Holyrood must cover policing costs in Scotland as per established funding agreements for devolved matters."

While Robison referenced past instances where the UK government covered the cost of Trump’s 2018 visit to the nation, it is believed that visit followed a formal invitation from Westminster, in which instance it included protection expenses under its statement of funding policy.

"The UK government needs to step up and pay. I think it’s unreasonable, it was clearly a official trip … Especially when you have the prime minister Sir Keir meeting with the president, having press conferences with them, engaging in global diplomacy with him, its really hard to believe to say this was just a personal vacation."