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The British administration is being urged to "take responsibility" and reimburse the £24.5m expense incurred during the recent visits by Donald Trump and JD Vance to the Scottish nation, according to a top Scottish minister.

Significant Estimated Expenses Revealed

Preliminary costs totalling almost £24.5 million for the pair of official trips have been published by the Scottish government.

Public Finance Minister McKee labeled the UK government's refusal to offer financial support as "absurd," stating that both trips were clearly official, pointing out that the US president held discussions with EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and British PM Sir Keir Starmer during his July stay in the northern nation.

Particulars of the Trips and Related Policing Costs

Donald Trump toured his golfing resorts at Turnberry and Menie over a week-long period in the summer, while American VP Vance spent around four days in Ayrshire in late summer.

In a formal letter to the Treasury’s chief secretary Chief Secretary Murray, Finance Secretary Shona Robison stated that the trips placed "significant operational and financial burdens on public services in Scotland, especially Police Scotland."

The Scottish government estimates that the estimated expense for policing the presidential visit alone was £21 million, which reflected maximum daily assignments of more than 4,000 officers, while costs for the vice-president’s trip were approximately £3m.

Complex Policing Operation

This extensive security mission was the largest in the country since the death of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, and included regional police, specialist units, volunteer officers and officers from across the UK for specialist support.

Robison wrote: "After your choice not to provide funding to Scotland for expenses incurred in relation to the trip 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 review this decision and provide full reimbursement for the cost of the visits."

UK Government Reply and Past Precedent

The British administration maintained that the trips were private and "not official UK government business." A spokesperson added: "The Scottish government are responsible for security expenses in the country as per established devolved funding arrangements."

While Robison pointed to past instances where the British administration covered the expense of Trump’s 2018 visit to Scotland, it is understood that visit came after 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 cover the cost. I think it’s ridiculous, it was obviously a official trip … Especially when you have the PM Keir Starmer spending time with the president, holding joint briefings with him, conducting global diplomacy with him, its really stretching the bounds of credibility to say this was just a personal vacation."