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The British administration is being called upon to "step up" and cover the £24.5 million expense incurred during the recent trips by former President Trump and JD Vance to the Scottish nation, according to a senior Holyrood official.

Substantial Estimated Expenses Revealed

Provisional expenses totalling almost £24.5m for the pair of working visits have been made public by the administration in Edinburgh.

Public Finance Minister McKee described the Westminster's refusal to offer financial support as "ridiculous," arguing that both visits were obviously work-related, pointing out that the US president held discussions with European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen and UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer during his July stay in the northern nation.

Particulars of the Visits and Associated Security Expenses

Donald Trump toured his golfing resorts at Turnberry and Menie over a week-long period in July, while American VP Vance spent around a long weekend in the Ayrshire region in August.

In a formal letter to the Treasury minister Chief Secretary Murray, Finance Secretary Shona Robison wrote that the trips placed "substantial operational and financial burdens on Scottish public services, particularly Police Scotland."

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

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, volunteer officers and officers from across the UK for expert assistance.

Robison stated: "Following your choice not to provide funding to Scotland for costs accrued in connection with the visit of Donald Trump to the nation in July 2025 and the subsequent trip of VP JD Vance, I am contacting you to request that you reconsider this decision and offer full reimbursement for the cost of the visits."

Westminster Reply and Past Precedent

The UK government stated that the visits were private and "not official UK government business." A representative added: "Holyrood are responsible for policing costs in the country as per agreed funding agreements for devolved matters."

While Robison referenced past instances where the British administration reimbursed the expense of the president's 2018 trip to the nation, it is understood that trip followed a formal invitation from Westminster, in which instance it covered security costs under its funding guidelines.

"Westminster must take action and pay. I think it’s ridiculous, it was clearly a official trip … Especially when you have the prime minister Sir Keir meeting with Donald Trump, holding joint briefings with him, engaging in global diplomacy with them, its really hard to believe to say this was just a private holiday trip."