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The UK government is being urged to "step up" and cover the £24.5m expense incurred during the recent visits by Donald Trump and Vice-President Vance to the Scottish nation, according to a top Scottish minister.

Significant Provisional Costs Revealed

Provisional expenses totalling nearly £24.5 million for the pair of working visits have been published by the Scottish government.

Public Finance Minister McKee labeled the Westminster's unwillingness to provide funding as "ridiculous," stating that both visits were clearly work-related, pointing out that the American leader held meetings with EU Commission president the EU's von der Leyen and British PM Sir Keir Starmer during his summer visit in Scotland.

Details of the Visits and Related Policing Costs

The former president visited his golfing resorts at Turnberry and Menie over a week-long trip in the summer, while American VP JD Vance spent around a long weekend in the Ayrshire region in August.

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

The Scottish government estimates that the estimated expense for securing the president's trip alone was £21 million, which involved peak daily deployments of more than 4,000 officers, while expenses for the vice-president’s trip were approximately £3m.

Large-Scale Policing Operation

This complex security mission was the largest in the country since the death of the late Queen in 2022, and included local officers, national divisions, special constables and officers from across the UK for expert assistance.

Robison stated: "After your decision not to offer financial support to the Scottish government for expenses accrued in connection with the visit of Donald Trump to the nation in July 2025 and the subsequent trip of VP Vance, I am contacting you to request that you review this decision and offer complete repayment for the cost of the trips."

Westminster Reply and Past Precedent

The British administration maintained that the visits were private and "not part of official government duties." A spokesperson added: "Holyrood must cover security expenses in Scotland as per established devolved funding arrangements."

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

"Westminster needs to step up and cover the cost. I think it’s ridiculous, it was obviously a official trip … Especially when you have the PM Keir Starmer meeting with the president, having press conferences with him, engaging in global diplomacy with him, its really hard to believe to say this was merely a private holiday trip."