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

Significant Provisional Costs Disclosed

Provisional expenses amounting to almost £24.5 million for the two working visits have been published by the administration in Edinburgh.

Public Finance Minister McKee described the Westminster's refusal to provide funding as "ridiculous," arguing that both visits were clearly official, pointing out that the American leader held meetings with European Union chief the EU's von der Leyen and British PM Keir Starmer during his July visit in Scotland.

Details of the Visits and Related Policing Costs

The former president visited his golf courses at Turnberry and Menie in Aberdeenshire over a five-day trip in the summer, while US vice-president Vance spent approximately four days in Ayrshire in August.

In a written communication to the Treasury minister Chief Secretary Murray, Scotland’s finance secretary wrote that the trips placed "significant strains and costs on public services in Scotland, especially Police Scotland."

The Edinburgh administration calculates that the estimated expense for securing the president's trip alone was £21m, which involved maximum daily assignments of more than four thousand police, while expenses for the vice-president’s trip were about £3m.

Complex Security Mission

This complex security mission was the biggest in the country since the passing of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, and included regional police, national divisions, special constables and officers from across the UK for specialist support.

Robison wrote: "After your decision not to provide funding to the Scottish government for expenses accrued in relation to the visit of Donald Trump to the nation in summer 2025 and the subsequent trip of VP Vance, I am contacting you to request that you reconsider this decision and offer complete repayment for the expense of the visits."

UK Government Response and Previous Example

The UK government stated that the visits were private and "not official UK government business." A representative added: "Holyrood must cover policing costs in the country as per agreed funding agreements for devolved matters."

While the Finance Secretary pointed to previous precedent where the British administration covered the expense of Trump’s 2018 visit to Scotland, it is believed that trip came after a official invitation from Westminster, in which case it included protection expenses under its funding guidelines.

"The UK government 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 Keir Starmer spending time with the president, having press conferences with them, engaging in international business with him, its really stretching the bounds of credibility to say this was merely a private holiday trip."