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The UK government is being urged to "take responsibility" and cover the £24.5 million expense incurred during the recent visits by Donald Trump and JD Vance to the Scottish nation, according to a senior Scottish minister.

Substantial Provisional Costs Revealed

Provisional costs amounting to nearly £24.5 million for the two working visits have been published by the administration in Edinburgh.

Ivan McKee labeled the UK government's unwillingness to provide funding as "absurd," arguing that both trips were obviously work-related, noting that the US president held meetings with EU Commission president the EU's von der Leyen and British PM Keir Starmer during his summer visit in Scotland.

Particulars of the Visits and Related Security Expenses

The former president toured his golfing resorts at Turnberry in Ayrshire and Menie over a week-long period in the summer, while American VP JD Vance spent around four days in the Ayrshire region in August.

In a written communication to the Treasury minister Chief Secretary Murray, Finance Secretary Shona Robison stated that the trips placed "significant operational and financial burdens on public services in Scotland, particularly the Scottish police force."

The Scottish government calculates that the provisional cost for securing the presidential visit alone was £21 million, which reflected maximum daily assignments of over 4,000 officers, while costs for the VP's visit were about £3m.

Large-Scale Security Mission

This complex policing operation was the largest in the country since the death of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, and involved regional police, specialist units, special constables and officers from across the UK for expert assistance.

The Finance Secretary stated: "Following your decision not to offer financial support to Scotland for expenses accrued in connection with the visit of Donald Trump to the nation in July 2025 and the following visit of VP Vance, I am writing you to ask that you review this decision and provide full reimbursement for the expense 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 added: "The Scottish government must cover policing costs in the country as per established funding agreements for devolved matters."

While the Finance Secretary referenced past instances where the British administration reimbursed the cost of the president's 2018 trip to Scotland, it is believed that trip followed a official invitation from Westminster, in which case it covered security costs under its funding guidelines.

"The UK government must take action and cover the cost. I think it’s ridiculous, it was obviously a official trip … Particularly when you have the prime minister Sir Keir meeting with the president, having press conferences with them, conducting international business with them, its really stretching the bounds of credibility to say this was merely a personal vacation."