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The UK government is being urged to "step up" and cover the £24.5 million expense incurred during recent trips by Donald Trump and JD Vance to the Scottish nation, according to a senior Scottish minister.

Significant Provisional Costs Revealed

Preliminary costs amounting to nearly £24.5m for the two working visits have been made public by the Scottish government.

Ivan McKee described the Westminster's refusal to offer financial support as "ridiculous," stating that both trips were clearly work-related, noting that the American leader held discussions with European Union chief the EU's von der Leyen and UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer during his July stay in Scotland.

Particulars of the Trips and Related Policing Costs

Donald Trump toured his golf courses at Turnberry in Ayrshire and Menie in Aberdeenshire over a five-day trip in July, while American VP Vance spent around a long weekend in Ayrshire in August.

In a written communication to the Treasury’s chief secretary Chief Secretary Murray, Scotland’s finance secretary wrote that the visits placed "substantial strains and costs on public services in Scotland, particularly the Scottish police force."

The Edinburgh administration calculates that the estimated expense for policing the presidential visit by itself was £21m, which reflected maximum daily assignments of over four thousand police, while expenses for the vice-president’s trip were approximately £3m.

Complex Security Mission

This extensive security mission was the biggest in Scotland since the death of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, and involved local officers, national divisions, volunteer officers and wider UK colleagues for specialist support.

Robison stated: "After your decision not to offer financial support to Scotland for costs accrued in connection with the trip of Donald Trump to Scotland in summer 2025 and the following trip of VP Vance, I am writing you to request that you review this decision and provide complete repayment for the cost of the visits."

UK Government Response and Previous Example

The UK government maintained that the trips were private and "not official UK government business." A representative added: "Holyrood must cover security expenses in the country as per agreed devolved funding arrangements."

While Robison referenced past instances where the UK government reimbursed the cost of Trump’s 2018 visit to Scotland, it is believed that visit came after a official UK government invitation, in which case it covered security costs under its statement of funding policy.

"The UK government must take action and cover the cost. I think it’s unreasonable, it was clearly a official trip … Particularly when you have the PM Keir Starmer spending time with Donald Trump, having press conferences with them, engaging in global diplomacy with him, its really hard to believe to say this was merely a personal vacation."