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The UK government is being called upon to "step up" and cover the £24.5 million cost incurred during recent trips by former President Trump and Vice-President Vance to Scotland, according to a top Scottish minister.

Significant Estimated Expenses Revealed

Provisional expenses totalling almost £24.5m for the two working visits have been made public by the administration in Edinburgh.

Public Finance Minister McKee labeled the UK government's unwillingness to offer financial support as "absurd," arguing that both trips were obviously official, noting that the American leader held discussions with EU Commission president the EU's von der Leyen and British PM Keir Starmer during his July visit in the northern nation.

Details of the Visits and Associated Security Expenses

Donald Trump visited his golf courses at Turnberry in Ayrshire and Menie over a five-day trip in the summer, while American VP Vance spent around four days in Ayrshire in August.

In a formal letter to the Treasury’s chief secretary James Murray, Finance Secretary Shona Robison wrote that the visits placed "significant operational and financial burdens on public services in Scotland, especially Police Scotland."

The Edinburgh administration estimates that the estimated expense for securing the president's trip alone was £21 million, which involved maximum daily assignments of over 4,000 officers, while costs for the VP's visit were approximately £3m.

Large-Scale Policing Operation

This extensive security mission was the largest in the country since the death of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, and involved regional police, specialist units, special constables and officers from across the UK for expert assistance.

Robison 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 trip of Vice-President Vance, I am contacting you to request that you review this stance and offer full reimbursement for the expense of the visits."

UK Government Response and Past Precedent

The British administration maintained that the visits were personal 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 pointed to previous precedent where the UK government reimbursed the cost of Trump’s 2018 visit to the nation, it is believed that trip came after a formal invitation from Westminster, in which case it included security costs under its statement of funding policy.

"Westminster must take action and pay. I think it’s unreasonable, it was obviously a work visit … Especially when you have the PM Sir Keir meeting with the president, holding joint briefings with them, engaging in global diplomacy with him, its really hard to believe to say this was merely a personal vacation."