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The UK government is being called upon to "step up" and reimburse the £24.5m cost incurred during recent trips by Donald Trump and JD Vance to Scotland, according to a top Scottish minister.

Significant Provisional Costs Disclosed

Preliminary costs totalling almost £24.5m for the pair of official trips have been made public by the Scottish government.

Ivan McKee described the UK government's unwillingness to offer financial support as "absurd," arguing that both trips were clearly official, noting that the US president held discussions with European Union chief the EU's von der Leyen and British PM Keir Starmer during his July visit in the northern nation.

Details of the Trips and Related Security Expenses

The former president visited his golfing resorts at Turnberry and Menie in Aberdeenshire over a five-day trip in the summer, while American VP Vance spent around four days in the Ayrshire region in August.

In a written communication to the Treasury minister James Murray, Finance Secretary Shona Robison wrote that the visits placed "significant operational and financial burdens on Scottish public services, especially Police Scotland."

The Edinburgh administration estimates that the estimated expense for securing the president's trip alone was £21 million, which involved peak daily deployments of over 4,000 officers, while expenses for the vice-president’s trip were about £3 million.

Large-Scale Security Mission

This extensive policing operation 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 choice not to offer financial support to Scotland for costs incurred in relation to the visit of President Donald Trump to Scotland in July 2025 and the following visit of VP Vance, I am writing you to ask that you review this decision and provide full reimbursement for the expense of the visits."

Westminster Reply and Previous Example

The British administration stated that the trips were private and "not part of official government duties." A spokesperson added: "The Scottish government are responsible for security expenses in the country as per agreed devolved funding arrangements."

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

"Westminster must take action and cover the cost. I think it’s ridiculous, it was clearly a official trip … Particularly when you have the prime minister Sir Keir meeting with Donald Trump, having press conferences with him, conducting global diplomacy with them, its really stretching the bounds of credibility to say this was just a private holiday trip."