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

Substantial Estimated Expenses Revealed

Provisional expenses amounting to nearly £24.5m for the two official trips have been published by the Scottish government.

Ivan McKee described the Westminster's unwillingness to offer financial support as "ridiculous," stating that both visits were clearly work-related, pointing out that the US president held discussions with EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer during his July visit in Scotland.

Details of the Trips and Associated Policing Costs

The former president visited his golfing resorts at Turnberry in Ayrshire and Menie in Aberdeenshire over a week-long trip in the summer, while American VP 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 trips placed "substantial operational and financial burdens on public services in Scotland, especially Police Scotland."

The Scottish government estimates that the estimated expense for securing the president's trip by itself was £21 million, which reflected maximum daily assignments of over four thousand police, while expenses for the VP's visit were about £3 million.

Complex Security Mission

This complex security mission was the largest in the country since the death of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, and involved local officers, specialist units, special constables and wider UK colleagues for specialist support.

Robison wrote: "After your decision not to provide funding to Scotland for costs incurred in relation to the trip of Donald Trump to the nation in July 2025 and the subsequent visit of Vice-President Vance, I am writing you to ask that you review this stance and offer complete repayment for the cost of the visits."

Westminster Response and Previous Example

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

While the Finance Secretary pointed to past instances where the UK government reimbursed the expense of the president's 2018 trip to the nation, it is understood that trip followed a official UK government invitation, in which instance it covered security costs under its funding guidelines.

"Westminster needs to step up and cover the cost. I think it’s ridiculous, it was obviously a official trip … Especially when you have the prime minister Sir Keir meeting with Donald Trump, having press conferences with him, conducting international business with him, its really stretching the bounds of credibility to say this was merely a personal vacation."