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The UK government is being called upon to "step up" and cover the £24.5 million expense incurred during recent trips by former President Trump and Vice-President Vance to the Scottish nation, according to a top Holyrood official.

Significant Estimated Expenses Revealed

Provisional costs amounting to nearly £24.5m for the two working visits have been made public by the Scottish government.

Ivan McKee labeled the UK government's refusal to offer financial support as "absurd," stating that both visits were clearly work-related, pointing out that the American leader held discussions with EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and British PM Sir Keir Starmer during his July stay in Scotland.

Details of the Trips and Related Policing Costs

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

In a formal letter to the Treasury’s chief secretary James Murray, Finance Secretary Shona Robison wrote that the visits placed "significant strains and costs on Scottish public services, particularly Police Scotland."

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

Complex Policing Operation

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

Robison stated: "Following your choice not to offer financial support to the Scottish government for expenses accrued in connection with the visit of Donald Trump to Scotland in July 2025 and the following visit of VP JD Vance, I am writing you to ask that you reconsider this stance and provide complete repayment for the cost of the visits."

Westminster Reply and Previous Example

The British administration maintained that the trips were private and "not official UK government business." A spokesperson added: "Holyrood are responsible for security expenses in Scotland as per established funding agreements for devolved matters."

While Robison referenced previous precedent where the British administration reimbursed the cost of Trump’s 2018 visit to Scotland, it is understood that visit came after a formal invitation from Westminster, in which instance it covered protection expenses under its funding guidelines.

"Westminster needs to step up and cover the cost. I think it’s ridiculous, it was obviously a work visit … Especially when you have the PM Keir Starmer spending time with Donald Trump, holding joint briefings with him, engaging in international business with him, its really stretching the bounds of credibility to say this was merely a personal vacation."