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The UK government is being urged to "take responsibility" and cover the £24.5m cost incurred during recent visits by former President Trump and JD Vance to Scotland, according to a senior Scottish minister.

Significant Estimated Expenses Revealed

Preliminary costs totalling nearly £24.5 million for the pair of official trips have been published by the administration in Edinburgh.

Public Finance Minister McKee labeled the Westminster's unwillingness to provide funding as "ridiculous," stating that both trips were obviously work-related, noting that the US president held discussions with EU Commission president the EU's von der Leyen and UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer during his summer visit in the northern nation.

Particulars of the Visits and Related Security Expenses

Donald Trump toured his golf courses at Turnberry and Menie over a week-long trip in July, while US vice-president Vance spent approximately four days in Ayrshire in late summer.

In a formal letter to the Treasury minister Chief Secretary Murray, Scotland’s finance secretary stated that the trips placed "substantial strains and costs on Scottish public services, especially Police Scotland."

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

Large-Scale Security Mission

This complex security mission was the largest in the country since the passing of the late Queen in 2022, and involved regional police, specialist units, volunteer officers and wider UK colleagues for expert assistance.

Robison stated: "After your decision not to provide funding to the Scottish government for costs accrued in connection with the trip of Donald Trump to Scotland in July 2025 and the subsequent trip of VP Vance, I am contacting you to request that you reconsider this stance and provide full reimbursement for the cost of the trips."

UK Government Response and Past Precedent

The UK government stated that the visits were personal and "not part of official government duties." A spokesperson commented: "Holyrood are responsible for policing costs in the country as per established devolved funding arrangements."

While the Finance Secretary referenced previous precedent where the UK government covered the expense of the president's 2018 trip to Scotland, it is believed that trip came after a formal invitation from Westminster, in which case it covered protection expenses under its statement of funding policy.

"Westminster needs to step up and cover the cost. I think it’s ridiculous, it was obviously a official trip … Particularly when you have the prime minister Keir Starmer spending time with the president, holding joint briefings with them, conducting international business with him, its really stretching the bounds of credibility to say this was just a private holiday trip."