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

Substantial Estimated Expenses Revealed

Provisional costs totalling nearly £24.5 million for the pair of working visits have been made public by the administration in Edinburgh.

Ivan McKee described the Westminster's refusal to offer financial support as "ridiculous," stating that both trips were obviously work-related, noting that the US president held discussions with EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer during his summer stay in the northern nation.

Details of the Visits and Related Policing Costs

Donald Trump toured his golfing resorts at Turnberry in Ayrshire and Menie over a week-long period in the summer, while US vice-president Vance spent approximately 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 visits placed "substantial operational and financial burdens on public services in Scotland, particularly Police Scotland."

The Edinburgh administration calculates that the estimated expense for policing the president's trip by itself was £21m, which reflected maximum daily assignments of more than 4,000 officers, while costs for the VP's visit were about £3 million.

Large-Scale Policing Operation

This extensive security mission was the largest in Scotland since the passing of the late Queen in 2022, and involved regional police, national divisions, special constables and wider UK colleagues for expert assistance.

Robison stated: "After your decision not to provide funding to the Scottish government for costs incurred in connection with the visit of President Donald Trump to the nation in summer 2025 and the subsequent visit of Vice-President JD Vance, I am contacting you to ask that you reconsider this decision and offer full reimbursement for the expense of the trips."

Westminster Reply and Past Precedent

The UK government stated that the visits were personal and "not official UK government business." A representative added: "Holyrood must cover security expenses in Scotland as per established funding agreements for devolved matters."

While Robison referenced previous precedent where the UK government covered the expense of Trump’s 2018 visit to Scotland, it is understood that trip followed a official invitation from Westminster, in which instance it covered protection expenses under its statement of funding policy.

"The UK government must take action and cover the cost. I think it’s unreasonable, it was obviously a official trip … Particularly when you have the PM Sir Keir spending time with Donald Trump, holding joint briefings with them, conducting international business with them, its really stretching the bounds of credibility to say this was merely a personal vacation."