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

Significant Provisional Costs Revealed

Preliminary costs totalling almost £24.5 million for the two official trips have been published by the Scottish government.

Public Finance Minister McKee labeled the Westminster's unwillingness to offer financial support as "ridiculous," stating that both visits were obviously work-related, pointing out that the American leader held meetings with European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen and British PM Keir Starmer during his summer visit in the northern nation.

Details of the Visits and Associated Security Expenses

The former president visited his golf courses at Turnberry and Menie in Aberdeenshire over a week-long period in July, 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 Chief Secretary Murray, Finance Secretary Shona Robison stated that the visits placed "substantial operational and financial burdens on Scottish public services, particularly the Scottish police force."

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

Complex Policing Operation

This extensive policing operation was the biggest in Scotland since the passing 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 choice not to offer financial support to Scotland for expenses incurred in connection with the trip of President Donald Trump to the nation in summer 2025 and the subsequent visit of VP Vance, I am writing you to request that you review this stance and provide complete repayment for the expense of the visits."

Westminster Reply and Previous Example

The British administration stated that the trips were personal and "not official UK government business." A spokesperson added: "The Scottish government are responsible for security expenses in Scotland as per established devolved funding arrangements."

While the Finance Secretary referenced previous precedent where the British administration covered the cost of Trump’s 2018 visit to Scotland, it is understood that trip followed a formal UK government invitation, in which instance it covered security costs under its funding guidelines.

"The UK government needs to step up and pay. I think it’s unreasonable, it was clearly a official trip … Especially when you have the prime minister Sir Keir meeting with the president, having press conferences with them, conducting global diplomacy with them, its really stretching the bounds of credibility to say this was just a personal vacation."