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

Substantial Estimated Expenses Revealed

Provisional expenses totalling almost £24.5m for the pair of official trips have been made public by the administration in Edinburgh.

Ivan McKee described the Westminster's unwillingness to offer financial support as "ridiculous," arguing that both visits were obviously work-related, noting that the US president held discussions with European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen and British PM Sir Keir Starmer during his July stay in the northern nation.

Particulars of the Trips and Related Security Expenses

Donald Trump toured his golf courses at Turnberry in Ayrshire and Menie in Aberdeenshire over a five-day trip in July, while American VP 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 wrote that the trips placed "substantial strains and costs on public services in Scotland, especially Police Scotland."

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

Complex Security Mission

This complex security mission was the largest in the country since the death of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, and involved local officers, national divisions, special constables and officers from across the UK for specialist support.

Robison stated: "After your decision not to offer financial support to Scotland for expenses accrued in connection with the trip of Donald Trump to Scotland in summer 2025 and the following trip of VP JD Vance, I am contacting you to ask that you reconsider this stance and offer complete repayment for the expense of the trips."

UK Government Response and Past Precedent

The UK government maintained that the visits were private and "not official UK government business." A spokesperson added: "Holyrood must cover policing costs in the country as per agreed devolved funding arrangements."

While the Finance Secretary referenced past instances where the British administration reimbursed the expense of Trump’s 2018 visit to the nation, it is understood that trip came after a official invitation from Westminster, in which instance it included security costs under its funding guidelines.

"Westminster needs to step up and cover the cost. I think it’s ridiculous, it was obviously a work visit … Particularly when you have the PM Sir Keir meeting with the president, holding joint briefings with him, engaging in international business with him, its really stretching the bounds of credibility to say this was merely a personal vacation."