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The UK government is being called upon to "take responsibility" and reimburse the £24.5m cost incurred during the recent trips by former President Trump and JD Vance to the Scottish nation, according to a top Holyrood official.

Substantial Provisional Costs Disclosed

Preliminary costs totalling nearly £24.5m for the two official trips have been made public by the administration in Edinburgh.

Public Finance Minister McKee described the UK government's refusal to provide funding as "ridiculous," stating that both trips were clearly work-related, noting that the US president held meetings with EU Commission president the EU's von der Leyen and UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer during his July stay in Scotland.

Details of the Visits and Related Security Expenses

Donald Trump toured his golf courses at Turnberry and Menie in Aberdeenshire over a five-day trip in July, while US vice-president Vance spent around four days in the Ayrshire region in August.

In a written communication to the Treasury’s chief secretary James Murray, Scotland’s finance secretary wrote that the trips placed "substantial operational and financial burdens on Scottish public services, especially Police Scotland."

The Scottish government estimates that the estimated expense for securing the presidential visit alone was £21 million, which reflected maximum daily assignments of over 4,000 officers, while costs for the VP's visit were about £3m.

Large-Scale Policing Operation

This complex security mission was the largest in Scotland since the passing of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, and involved local officers, specialist units, volunteer officers and officers from across the UK for expert assistance.

Robison wrote: "After your decision not to offer financial support to Scotland for expenses incurred in relation to the visit of Donald Trump to the nation in July 2025 and the following visit of VP Vance, I am contacting you to request that you reconsider this stance and offer complete repayment for the expense of the trips."

Westminster Reply and Previous Example

The UK government stated that the visits were personal and "not part of official government duties." A representative commented: "The Scottish government are responsible for policing costs in Scotland as per agreed funding agreements for devolved matters."

While Robison pointed to previous precedent where the UK government reimbursed the cost of the president's 2018 trip to Scotland, it is understood that visit followed a formal invitation from Westminster, in which case it included security costs under its funding guidelines.

"Westminster needs to step up and cover the cost. I think it’s ridiculous, it was obviously a official trip … Especially when you have the PM Keir Starmer spending time with Donald Trump, having press conferences with him, engaging in global diplomacy with him, its really hard to believe to say this was just a private holiday trip."