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The UK government is being called upon to "step up" and reimburse the £24.5 million cost incurred during recent visits by former President Trump and Vice-President Vance to the Scottish nation, according to a top Scottish minister.

Significant Estimated Expenses Revealed

Preliminary costs amounting to almost £24.5m for the two working visits have been published by the Scottish government.

Ivan McKee labeled the UK government's unwillingness to provide funding as "absurd," stating that both visits were clearly official, noting that the US president held discussions with European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen and British PM Sir Keir Starmer during his summer visit in Scotland.

Details of the Visits and Associated Security Expenses

Donald Trump toured his golfing resorts at Turnberry in Ayrshire and Menie over a five-day period in the summer, while US vice-president 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, Scotland’s finance secretary stated that the trips placed "substantial strains and costs on public services in Scotland, especially the Scottish police force."

The Edinburgh administration estimates that the provisional cost for policing 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 about £3m.

Large-Scale Security Mission

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

The Finance Secretary wrote: "Following your decision not to offer financial support to the Scottish government for expenses accrued in relation to the visit of President Donald Trump to the nation in summer 2025 and the subsequent visit of VP JD 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 Previous Example

The UK government stated that the visits were personal and "not official UK government business." A spokesperson commented: "Holyrood are responsible for security expenses in the country as per agreed devolved funding arrangements."

While Robison referenced past instances where the UK government reimbursed the expense of the president's 2018 trip to Scotland, it is understood that trip came after a formal UK government invitation, in which instance it covered protection expenses under its statement of funding policy.

"The UK government needs to step up and pay. I think it’s unreasonable, it was obviously a official trip … Especially when you have the prime minister Sir Keir meeting with the president, having press conferences with him, conducting international business with them, its really hard to believe to say this was merely a private holiday trip."