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The British administration is being called upon to "step up" and cover the £24.5 million cost incurred during recent visits by former President Trump and Vice-President Vance to the Scottish nation, according to a senior Scottish minister.

Significant Provisional Costs Disclosed

Provisional costs amounting to nearly £24.5m for the pair of official trips have been made public by the administration in Edinburgh.

Public Finance Minister McKee labeled the UK government's refusal to provide funding as "ridiculous," arguing that both trips were obviously work-related, noting that the US president held meetings with European Union chief the EU's von der Leyen and UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer during his summer visit in Scotland.

Particulars of the Trips and Related Policing Costs

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

In a written communication to the Treasury minister James Murray, Scotland’s finance secretary wrote that the visits placed "substantial strains and costs on Scottish public services, especially Police Scotland."

The Edinburgh administration calculates that the estimated expense for securing the president's trip by itself was £21m, which reflected maximum daily assignments of over four thousand police, while expenses for the VP's visit were approximately £3 million.

Complex Security Mission

This extensive policing operation was the biggest in Scotland since the death of the late Queen in 2022, and involved regional police, national divisions, special constables and officers from across the UK for expert assistance.

Robison wrote: "After your decision not to provide funding to Scotland for expenses incurred in connection with the visit of Donald Trump to the nation in summer 2025 and the subsequent visit of VP JD Vance, I am contacting you to ask that you reconsider this stance and offer complete repayment for the cost of the visits."

UK Government Reply and Previous Example

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

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

"Westminster needs to step up and pay. I think it’s ridiculous, it was obviously a work visit … Particularly when you have the PM Keir Starmer meeting with the president, having press conferences with them, engaging in international business with him, its really stretching the bounds of credibility to say this was just a personal vacation."