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The British administration is being urged to "take responsibility" and reimburse the £24.5 million cost incurred during the recent visits by former President Trump and Vice-President Vance to the Scottish nation, according to a senior Holyrood official.

Substantial Provisional Costs Disclosed

Preliminary expenses totalling nearly £24.5m for the two working visits have been made public by the Scottish government.

Public Finance Minister McKee described the UK government's refusal to provide funding as "absurd," arguing that both trips were obviously official, noting that the American leader held discussions with European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen and UK prime minister Keir Starmer during his summer visit in Scotland.

Details of the Visits and Related Policing Costs

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

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

The Scottish government estimates that the estimated expense for securing the presidential visit alone was £21 million, which reflected maximum daily assignments of more than four thousand police, while costs for the VP's visit were approximately £3m.

Complex Policing Operation

This complex policing operation was the largest in Scotland since the passing of the late Queen in 2022, and involved regional police, specialist units, volunteer officers and officers from across the UK for expert assistance.

Robison wrote: "Following your choice not to provide funding to Scotland for expenses accrued in connection with the trip of President Donald Trump to the nation in July 2025 and the subsequent trip of VP Vance, I am writing you to ask that you review this decision and provide complete repayment for the cost of the visits."

Westminster Reply and Previous Example

The UK government stated that the visits were private and "not official UK government business." A spokesperson commented: "Holyrood are responsible for policing costs in the country as per established funding agreements for devolved matters."

While Robison referenced previous precedent where the British administration reimbursed the cost of the president's 2018 trip to Scotland, it is believed that visit came after a formal UK government invitation, in which case it covered security costs under its statement of funding policy.

"The UK government 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 them, its really hard to believe to say this was merely a personal vacation."