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The British administration is being urged to "take responsibility" and reimburse the £24.5m cost incurred during the recent visits by former President Trump and Vice-President Vance to the Scottish nation, according to a senior Holyrood official.

Significant Estimated Expenses Disclosed

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

Public Finance Minister McKee described the UK government's unwillingness to provide funding as "ridiculous," stating that both trips were clearly work-related, noting that the American leader held discussions with EU Commission president the EU's von der Leyen and UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer during his summer visit in the northern nation.

Details of the Trips and Associated Security Expenses

Donald Trump visited his golf courses at Turnberry in Ayrshire and Menie over a five-day period in the summer, while US vice-president Vance spent around four days in the Ayrshire region in August.

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

The Edinburgh administration estimates that the provisional cost for policing the presidential visit alone was £21 million, which reflected maximum daily assignments of more than 4,000 officers, while costs for the VP's visit were approximately £3m.

Large-Scale Policing Operation

This extensive policing operation was the largest in the country since the death of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, and involved regional police, national divisions, volunteer officers and officers from across the UK for expert assistance.

Robison wrote: "Following your decision not to provide funding to Scotland for expenses accrued in connection with the trip of Donald Trump to Scotland in summer 2025 and the following trip of VP JD Vance, I am contacting you to ask that you reconsider this decision and provide full reimbursement for the cost of the visits."

Westminster Reply and Past Precedent

The British administration stated that the trips were personal and "not part of official government duties." A spokesperson added: "Holyrood must cover policing costs in Scotland as per established funding agreements for devolved matters."

While the Finance Secretary pointed to previous precedent where the British administration covered the cost of Trump’s 2018 visit to Scotland, it is understood that visit followed a official UK government invitation, in which instance it covered protection expenses under its funding guidelines.

"The UK government must take action and cover the cost. I think it’s unreasonable, it was clearly a work visit … Especially when you have the PM Keir Starmer meeting with Donald Trump, holding joint briefings with them, engaging in international business with them, its really hard to believe to say this was just a personal vacation."