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The UK government is being urged to "step up" and reimburse the £24.5m cost incurred during the recent visits by former President Trump and Vice-President Vance to Scotland, according to a top Holyrood official.

Substantial Estimated Expenses Disclosed

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

Public Finance Minister McKee labeled the UK government's refusal to offer financial support as "ridiculous," stating that both visits were obviously official, pointing out that the US president held discussions with European Union chief the EU's von der Leyen and British PM Keir Starmer during his July visit in the northern nation.

Particulars of the Visits and Associated Policing Costs

Donald Trump visited his golf courses at Turnberry in Ayrshire and Menie over a five-day trip in July, while US vice-president Vance spent around a long weekend in the Ayrshire region in late summer.

In a written communication to the Treasury’s chief secretary James Murray, Finance Secretary Shona Robison wrote that the trips placed "significant strains and costs on public services in Scotland, especially the Scottish police force."

The Edinburgh administration estimates that the provisional cost for policing the president's trip by itself was £21m, which involved maximum daily assignments of more than 4,000 officers, while costs for the VP's visit were about £3m.

Complex Security Mission

This complex policing operation was the biggest in Scotland since the death of the late Queen in 2022, and included local officers, national divisions, volunteer officers and wider UK colleagues for expert assistance.

Robison stated: "Following your choice not to offer financial support to the Scottish government for costs accrued in relation to the trip of Donald Trump to Scotland in summer 2025 and the subsequent trip of VP JD Vance, I am writing you to ask that you review this decision and offer full reimbursement for the cost of the trips."

UK Government Reply and Previous Example

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

While Robison referenced past instances where the British administration covered the expense of the president's 2018 trip to Scotland, it is believed that visit came after a formal invitation from Westminster, in which instance it included protection expenses under its statement of funding policy.

"Westminster needs to step up and pay. I think it’s ridiculous, it was clearly a official trip … Particularly when you have the PM Sir Keir meeting with the president, holding joint briefings with him, engaging in international business with them, its really hard to believe to say this was merely a personal vacation."