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The British administration is being called upon to "step up" and cover the £24.5m expense incurred during the recent visits by Donald Trump and Vice-President Vance to Scotland, according to a senior Scottish minister.

Significant Estimated Expenses Disclosed

Preliminary costs totalling almost £24.5 million for the two 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 "absurd," stating that both visits were clearly official, pointing out that the US president held meetings with EU Commission president the EU's von der Leyen and UK prime minister Keir Starmer during his July visit in the northern nation.

Particulars of the Visits and Associated Policing Costs

The former president toured his golfing resorts at Turnberry in Ayrshire and Menie over a week-long trip in July, while US vice-president Vance spent approximately a long weekend in the Ayrshire region in August.

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

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

Large-Scale Security Mission

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

Robison stated: "After your decision not to offer financial support to Scotland for costs incurred in relation to the visit of Donald Trump to the nation in July 2025 and the subsequent visit of VP JD Vance, I am contacting you to request that you review this decision and offer complete repayment for the expense of the trips."

Westminster Reply and Past Precedent

The British administration maintained that the visits were private and "not part of official government duties." A spokesperson added: "The Scottish government must cover security expenses in the country as per agreed funding agreements for devolved matters."

While the Finance Secretary referenced previous precedent where the British administration covered the cost of the president's 2018 trip to the nation, it is understood that trip followed a official UK government invitation, in which instance it included security costs under its funding guidelines.

"Westminster must take action and pay. I think it’s unreasonable, it was clearly a official trip … Especially when you have the PM Keir Starmer meeting with the president, holding joint briefings with him, conducting international business with him, its really stretching the bounds of credibility to say this was just a personal vacation."