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The UK government is being called upon to "step up" and reimburse the £24.5m cost incurred during recent trips by former President Trump and Vice-President Vance to Scotland, according to a senior Holyrood official.

Significant Estimated Expenses Disclosed

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

Public Finance Minister McKee described the UK government's refusal to offer financial support as "absurd," stating that both trips were obviously official, noting that the American leader held meetings with EU Commission president the EU's von der Leyen and UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer during his summer stay in the northern nation.

Details of the Trips and Associated Security Expenses

Donald Trump visited his golfing resorts at Turnberry and Menie in Aberdeenshire over a week-long period in the summer, while US vice-president JD Vance spent around four days in the Ayrshire region in August.

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

The Edinburgh administration estimates that the provisional cost for securing the president's trip alone was £21 million, which involved maximum daily assignments of over four thousand police, while costs for the VP's visit were approximately £3m.

Large-Scale Policing Operation

This extensive security mission was the largest in Scotland 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 stated: "After 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 July 2025 and the following trip of VP JD Vance, I am contacting you to ask that you review this stance and provide complete repayment for the cost of the trips."

Westminster Reply and Past Precedent

The British administration maintained that the trips were personal and "not official UK government business." A spokesperson commented: "Holyrood are responsible for security expenses in Scotland as per agreed devolved funding arrangements."

While the Finance Secretary referenced past instances where the British administration covered the expense of the president's 2018 trip to the nation, it is believed that visit followed a official UK government invitation, in which instance it covered security costs under its funding guidelines.

"Westminster needs to step up and pay. I think it’s unreasonable, it was obviously a official trip … Especially when you have the PM Sir Keir meeting with Donald Trump, having press conferences with him, conducting global diplomacy with them, its really stretching the bounds of credibility to say this was merely a personal vacation."