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The UK government is being called upon to "take responsibility" and reimburse the £24.5 million expense incurred during the recent trips by former President Trump and JD Vance to Scotland, according to a top Holyrood official.

Significant Estimated Expenses Disclosed

Preliminary expenses totalling nearly £24.5 million for the two working visits have been made public by the administration in Edinburgh.

Public Finance Minister McKee described the UK government's unwillingness to provide funding as "ridiculous," arguing that both visits were clearly work-related, pointing out that the American leader held meetings with European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen and British PM Keir Starmer during his summer visit in Scotland.

Details of the Trips and Associated Policing Costs

The former president visited his golf courses at Turnberry in Ayrshire and Menie over a five-day period in July, while US vice-president JD Vance spent around four days in Ayrshire in late summer.

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

The Edinburgh administration estimates that the provisional cost for securing the president's trip by itself was £21m, which reflected maximum daily assignments of over 4,000 officers, while expenses for the VP's visit were about £3 million.

Large-Scale Policing Operation

This extensive policing operation was the largest in the country since the death of the late Queen in 2022, and involved regional police, national divisions, volunteer officers and officers from across the UK for expert assistance.

Robison wrote: "After your choice not to offer financial support to Scotland for costs accrued in connection with the trip of Donald Trump to the nation in summer 2025 and the following trip of VP JD Vance, I am contacting you to ask that you review this decision and offer complete repayment for the cost of the trips."

UK Government Reply and Previous Example

The British administration stated that the visits were personal and "not part of official government duties." A representative added: "Holyrood are responsible for policing costs in the country as per established funding agreements for devolved matters."

While Robison referenced previous precedent where the British administration reimbursed the expense of Trump’s 2018 visit to the nation, it is believed that visit came after a official invitation from Westminster, in which case it covered security costs under its funding guidelines.

"Westminster must take action and cover the cost. I think it’s unreasonable, it was obviously a official trip … Especially when you have the PM Keir Starmer spending time with the president, holding joint briefings with him, conducting international business with them, its really hard to believe to say this was just a private holiday trip."