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The British administration is being urged to "step up" and cover the £24.5m cost incurred during recent trips by Donald Trump and Vice-President Vance to Scotland, according to a top Scottish minister.

Substantial Estimated Expenses Disclosed

Provisional expenses amounting to nearly £24.5 million for the pair of official trips have been made public by the administration in Edinburgh.

Public Finance Minister McKee labeled the Westminster's refusal to offer financial support as "ridiculous," arguing that both visits were obviously work-related, noting that the American leader held meetings with EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer during his July stay in the northern nation.

Particulars of the Visits and Related Policing Costs

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

In a written communication to the Treasury minister Chief Secretary Murray, Finance Secretary Shona Robison stated that the visits placed "substantial operational and financial burdens on public services in Scotland, particularly the Scottish police force."

The Scottish government calculates that the estimated expense for securing the presidential visit by itself was £21 million, which reflected maximum daily assignments of more than 4,000 officers, while costs for the vice-president’s trip were approximately £3 million.

Large-Scale Policing Operation

This complex policing operation was the largest in the country since the death of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, and included local officers, specialist units, special constables and wider UK colleagues for expert assistance.

Robison stated: "Following your decision not to offer financial support to Scotland for costs accrued in connection with the trip of Donald Trump to Scotland in July 2025 and the subsequent visit of Vice-President Vance, I am writing you to request that you reconsider this decision and provide complete repayment for the expense of the visits."

Westminster Response and Past Precedent

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

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

"The UK government must take action and cover the cost. I think it’s unreasonable, it was obviously a work visit … Particularly when you have the prime minister Sir Keir spending time with Donald Trump, holding joint briefings with them, conducting global diplomacy with him, its really hard to believe to say this was just a private holiday trip."