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The British administration is being called upon to "take responsibility" and cover the £24.5m cost incurred during recent trips by former President Trump and JD Vance to Scotland, according to a senior Holyrood official.

Substantial Provisional Costs Revealed

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

Public Finance Minister McKee labeled the Westminster's unwillingness to offer financial support as "absurd," arguing that both visits were clearly work-related, pointing out that the American leader held discussions with EU Commission president the EU's von der Leyen and British PM Sir Keir Starmer during his summer stay in the northern nation.

Details of the Visits and Associated Security Expenses

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

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

The Scottish government calculates that the provisional cost for policing 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 about £3m.

Complex Policing Operation

This complex security mission was the biggest in the country since the death of the late Queen in 2022, and involved regional police, specialist units, special constables and wider UK colleagues for specialist support.

Robison stated: "After your choice not to provide funding to Scotland for expenses accrued in relation to the trip of Donald Trump to Scotland in summer 2025 and the following visit of VP Vance, I am writing you to ask that you review this decision and offer complete repayment for the expense of the trips."

UK Government Response and Previous Example

The British administration maintained that the trips were private and "not part of official government duties." A representative commented: "The Scottish government are responsible for security expenses in Scotland as per established devolved funding arrangements."

While Robison referenced previous precedent where the British administration covered the cost of the president's 2018 trip to the nation, it is understood that trip followed a official UK government invitation, in which instance it covered security costs under its statement of funding policy.

"The UK government needs to step up and cover the cost. I think it’s unreasonable, it was obviously a official trip … Especially when you have the PM Sir Keir meeting with the president, holding joint briefings with them, conducting international business with him, its really hard to believe to say this was merely a personal vacation."