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The UK government is being urged to "take responsibility" and reimburse the £24.5 million cost incurred during the recent visits by Donald Trump and Vice-President Vance to the Scottish nation, according to a top Scottish minister.

Substantial Provisional Costs Disclosed

Preliminary costs amounting to almost £24.5 million for the two working visits have been published by the Scottish government.

Ivan McKee labeled the Westminster's refusal to offer financial support as "ridiculous," arguing that both visits were obviously work-related, noting that the US president held meetings with European Union chief the EU's von der Leyen and UK prime minister Keir Starmer during his summer stay in Scotland.

Details of the Visits and Associated Security Expenses

Donald Trump visited his golf courses at Turnberry in Ayrshire and Menie over a five-day period in July, while US vice-president Vance spent around four days in the Ayrshire region in August.

In a written communication to the Treasury minister James Murray, Scotland’s finance secretary wrote that the trips placed "substantial strains and costs on public services in Scotland, especially Police Scotland."

The Edinburgh administration calculates that the estimated expense for policing the presidential visit by itself was £21m, which involved maximum daily assignments of more than four thousand police, while expenses for the vice-president’s trip were approximately £3m.

Large-Scale Policing Operation

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

The Finance Secretary wrote: "Following your decision not to offer financial support to the Scottish government for expenses incurred in connection with the visit of Donald Trump to the nation in summer 2025 and the subsequent trip of VP JD Vance, I am writing you to request that you reconsider this stance and provide complete repayment for the expense of the trips."

UK Government Reply and Past Precedent

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

While Robison pointed to past instances where the British administration covered the cost of the president's 2018 trip to Scotland, it is understood that visit came after a official invitation from Westminster, in which case it included security costs under its statement of funding policy.

"Westminster needs to step up and pay. I think it’s unreasonable, it was obviously a official trip … Especially when you have the prime minister Keir Starmer meeting with Donald Trump, holding joint briefings with him, conducting global diplomacy with him, its really stretching the bounds of credibility to say this was merely a private holiday trip."