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The UK government is being called upon to "take responsibility" and cover the £24.5 million expense incurred during the recent visits by former President Trump and Vice-President Vance to Scotland, according to a top Holyrood official.

Substantial Estimated Expenses Revealed

Preliminary costs amounting to almost £24.5m for the pair of official trips have been published by the Scottish government.

Ivan McKee described the Westminster's unwillingness to offer financial support as "ridiculous," stating that both trips were obviously official, pointing out that the US president held discussions with EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and British PM Keir Starmer during his July stay in the northern nation.

Details of the Trips and Associated Security Expenses

The former president toured his golfing resorts at Turnberry and Menie over a five-day trip in July, while American VP JD Vance spent approximately four days in Ayrshire in late summer.

In a formal letter to the Treasury minister James Murray, Finance Secretary Shona Robison stated that the trips placed "substantial operational and financial burdens on Scottish public services, especially Police Scotland."

The Scottish government calculates that the estimated expense for securing the president's trip by itself was £21 million, which involved maximum daily assignments of more than four thousand police, while expenses for the VP's visit were about £3m.

Large-Scale Policing Operation

This extensive security mission was the biggest in the country since the passing of the late Queen in 2022, and included local officers, specialist units, volunteer officers and wider UK colleagues for specialist support.

The Finance Secretary stated: "After your choice not to provide funding to Scotland for costs accrued in relation to the visit of President Donald Trump to Scotland in July 2025 and the following visit of VP Vance, I am contacting you to ask that you reconsider this stance and offer complete repayment for the cost of the trips."

Westminster Response and Previous Example

The British administration maintained that the visits were private and "not official UK government business." A spokesperson commented: "The Scottish government are responsible for security expenses in the country as per agreed funding agreements for devolved matters."

While Robison pointed to past instances where the British administration covered the cost of the president's 2018 trip to Scotland, it is understood that visit came after a formal invitation from Westminster, in which instance it included protection expenses under its statement of funding policy.

"The UK government must take action and pay. I think it’s unreasonable, it was obviously a official trip … Particularly when you have the PM Sir Keir spending time with Donald Trump, having press conferences with him, conducting international business with them, its really hard to believe to say this was merely a personal vacation."