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The British administration is being urged to "step up" and reimburse the £24.5 million cost incurred during the recent trips by former President Trump and Vice-President Vance to Scotland, according to a top Scottish minister.

Substantial Provisional Costs Revealed

Provisional costs totalling nearly £24.5m for the two working visits have been published by the Scottish government.

Public Finance Minister McKee labeled the Westminster's refusal to offer financial support as "absurd," arguing that both visits were obviously official, pointing out that the American leader held discussions with EU Commission president the EU's von der Leyen and UK prime minister Keir Starmer during his summer stay in the northern nation.

Details of the Trips and Related Security Expenses

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

In a written communication to the Treasury minister James Murray, Finance Secretary Shona Robison stated that the visits placed "substantial strains and costs on public services in Scotland, particularly the Scottish police force."

The Scottish government calculates that the estimated expense for securing the presidential visit by itself was £21 million, which reflected 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 complex security mission was the biggest in the country since the death of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, and involved local officers, national divisions, special constables and wider UK colleagues for specialist support.

Robison stated: "Following your choice not to provide funding to Scotland for expenses incurred in connection with the visit of President Donald Trump to the nation in July 2025 and the following trip of VP JD Vance, I am writing you to ask that you reconsider this stance and offer complete repayment for the cost of the trips."

UK Government Reply and Previous Example

The UK government stated that the trips were personal and "not part of official government duties." A spokesperson commented: "Holyrood must cover policing costs in Scotland as per agreed funding agreements for devolved matters."

While the Finance Secretary referenced previous precedent where the UK government covered the expense of Trump’s 2018 visit to Scotland, it is understood that visit came after a formal UK government invitation, in which case it covered protection expenses under its statement of funding policy.

"Westminster needs to step up and cover the cost. I think it’s ridiculous, it was clearly a work visit … Especially when you have the prime minister Keir Starmer spending time with the president, having press conferences with them, engaging in global diplomacy with him, its really hard to believe to say this was merely a personal vacation."