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The British administration is being called upon to "take responsibility" and reimburse the £24.5m cost incurred during the recent visits by Donald Trump and Vice-President Vance to Scotland, according to a top Scottish minister.

Significant Estimated Expenses Revealed

Preliminary costs amounting to almost £24.5 million for the pair of working visits have been published by the administration in Edinburgh.

Public Finance Minister McKee labeled the Westminster's unwillingness to offer financial support as "absurd," stating that both trips were obviously work-related, pointing out that the American leader held meetings with European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen and UK prime minister Keir Starmer during his summer stay in the northern nation.

Particulars of the Visits and Associated Policing Costs

The former president toured his golf courses at Turnberry and Menie in Aberdeenshire over a week-long trip in the summer, while US vice-president JD Vance spent around four days in Ayrshire in August.

In a written communication to the Treasury minister Chief Secretary Murray, Finance Secretary Shona Robison wrote that the visits placed "substantial operational and financial burdens on public services in Scotland, particularly the Scottish police force."

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

Large-Scale Security Mission

This extensive policing operation was the largest in Scotland since the passing of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, and involved local officers, specialist units, special constables and wider UK colleagues for specialist support.

The Finance Secretary wrote: "After your choice not to offer financial support to the Scottish government for expenses incurred in connection with the trip of President Donald Trump to Scotland in July 2025 and the following visit of VP Vance, I am writing you to request that you reconsider this stance and provide complete repayment for the cost of the trips."

UK Government Response and Past Precedent

The UK government stated that the trips were personal and "not part of official government duties." A representative added: "The Scottish government are responsible for security expenses in Scotland as per agreed funding agreements for devolved matters."

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

"Westminster must take action and pay. I think it’s unreasonable, it was obviously a work visit … Particularly when you have the prime minister Keir Starmer spending time with Donald Trump, having press conferences with them, conducting international business with him, its really hard to believe to say this was merely a private holiday trip."