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The British administration is being called upon to "take responsibility" and reimburse the £24.5m expense incurred during the recent trips by Donald Trump and JD Vance to Scotland, according to a top Scottish minister.

Substantial Estimated Expenses Revealed

Provisional costs amounting to almost £24.5 million for the two working visits have been made public by the administration in Edinburgh.

Ivan McKee described the Westminster's unwillingness to provide funding as "ridiculous," arguing that both visits were clearly work-related, pointing out that the American leader held discussions with EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and British PM Sir Keir Starmer during his summer stay in Scotland.

Particulars of the Visits and Associated Policing Costs

The former president toured his golf courses at Turnberry in Ayrshire and Menie in Aberdeenshire over a week-long period in the summer, while US vice-president JD Vance spent around four days in Ayrshire in August.

In a written communication to the Treasury minister Chief Secretary Murray, Finance Secretary Shona Robison wrote that the visits placed "substantial strains and costs on public services in Scotland, particularly Police Scotland."

The Edinburgh administration estimates that the estimated expense for policing the presidential visit by itself was £21m, which reflected maximum daily assignments of over four thousand police, while costs for the vice-president’s trip were approximately £3m.

Complex Policing Operation

This extensive security mission was the largest in the country since the death of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, and involved local officers, specialist units, volunteer officers and wider UK colleagues for specialist support.

The Finance Secretary stated: "After your decision not to provide funding to the Scottish government for costs accrued in connection with the visit of President Donald Trump to Scotland in July 2025 and the following visit of Vice-President JD Vance, I am contacting you to ask that you review this stance and provide complete repayment for the expense 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 spokesperson commented: "Holyrood must cover policing costs in Scotland as per established devolved funding arrangements."

While the Finance Secretary referenced previous precedent where the British administration covered the cost of the president's 2018 trip to Scotland, it is understood that visit followed a formal UK government invitation, in which case it included security costs under its statement of funding policy.

"Westminster needs to step up and cover the cost. I think it’s unreasonable, 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 private holiday trip."