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The UK government is being urged to "take responsibility" and cover the £24.5 million cost incurred during recent visits by former President Trump and JD Vance to Scotland, according to a senior Scottish minister.

Significant Estimated Expenses Disclosed

Provisional costs totalling almost £24.5 million for the two official trips have been published by the Scottish government.

Ivan McKee labeled the UK government's unwillingness to provide funding as "absurd," stating that both trips were obviously work-related, pointing out that the American leader held meetings with EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and British PM Sir Keir Starmer during his summer visit in the northern nation.

Particulars of the Trips and Related Policing Costs

Donald Trump toured his golf courses at Turnberry in Ayrshire and Menie in Aberdeenshire over a five-day trip in July, while US vice-president JD Vance spent approximately four days in Ayrshire in late summer.

In a written communication to the Treasury minister James Murray, Finance Secretary Shona Robison stated that the trips placed "significant strains and costs on public services in Scotland, particularly the Scottish police force."

The Edinburgh administration estimates that the estimated expense for securing the presidential visit by itself was £21m, which involved peak daily deployments of over 4,000 officers, while costs for the vice-president’s trip were approximately £3 million.

Complex Security Mission

This complex security mission was the largest in the country since the passing of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, and included local officers, national divisions, volunteer officers and wider UK colleagues for expert assistance.

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 the nation in summer 2025 and the following trip of VP Vance, I am writing you to ask that you reconsider this stance and provide full reimbursement for the expense of the visits."

UK Government Response and Previous Example

The British administration stated that the visits were private and "not part of official government duties." A representative added: "The Scottish government are responsible for policing costs in the country as per established funding agreements for devolved matters."

While Robison referenced previous precedent where the UK government covered the cost of Trump’s 2018 visit to Scotland, it is understood that visit followed a official invitation from Westminster, in which instance it covered security costs under its funding guidelines.

"Westminster must take action and pay. I think it’s unreasonable, it was clearly a work visit … Particularly when you have the prime minister Sir Keir spending time with the president, holding joint briefings with them, engaging in global diplomacy with him, its really stretching the bounds of credibility to say this was merely a personal vacation."