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The UK government is being urged to "take responsibility" and cover the £24.5 million cost incurred during the recent trips by former President Trump and Vice-President Vance to Scotland, according to a senior Holyrood official.

Substantial Provisional Costs Disclosed

Provisional costs amounting to nearly £24.5m for the two official trips have been published by the Scottish government.

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

Details of the Visits and Related Policing Costs

The former president toured his golfing resorts at Turnberry and Menie over a week-long period in July, while US vice-president JD Vance spent around a long weekend in Ayrshire in August.

In a formal letter to the Treasury’s chief secretary Chief Secretary Murray, Finance Secretary Shona Robison wrote that the visits placed "significant strains and costs on Scottish public services, particularly the Scottish police force."

The Scottish government estimates that the estimated expense for policing the president's trip by itself was £21 million, which reflected peak daily deployments of over 4,000 officers, while costs for the VP's visit were about £3m.

Complex Security Mission

This complex security mission was the largest in Scotland since the passing of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, and involved regional police, national divisions, special constables and wider UK colleagues for specialist support.

Robison wrote: "Following your choice not to provide funding to the Scottish government for costs incurred in relation to the trip of Donald Trump to Scotland in July 2025 and the following visit of Vice-President JD Vance, I am contacting you to request that you review this decision and offer complete repayment for the cost of the visits."

Westminster Reply and Past Precedent

The UK government stated 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 the Finance Secretary pointed to past instances where the British administration reimbursed the expense of the president's 2018 trip to Scotland, it is believed that visit followed a formal invitation from Westminster, in which case it included security costs under its statement of funding policy.

"Westminster needs to step up and cover the cost. I think it’s unreasonable, it was obviously a work visit … Particularly when you have the PM Sir Keir meeting with Donald Trump, having press conferences with him, conducting global diplomacy with them, its really stretching the bounds of credibility to say this was just a personal vacation."