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The UK government is being called upon to "step up" and cover the £24.5 million cost incurred during the recent visits by Donald Trump and JD Vance to Scotland, according to a top Scottish minister.

Substantial Provisional Costs Disclosed

Preliminary costs totalling nearly £24.5m for the pair of official trips have been published by the administration in Edinburgh.

Ivan McKee described the UK government's unwillingness to provide funding as "ridiculous," arguing that both trips were obviously work-related, noting that the US president held discussions with EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and British PM Keir Starmer during his July visit in Scotland.

Details of the Visits and Associated Security Expenses

Donald Trump visited his golfing resorts at Turnberry in Ayrshire and Menie over a week-long trip in the summer, while American VP Vance spent approximately a long weekend in Ayrshire in August.

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

The Scottish government estimates that the estimated expense for securing the president's trip alone was £21m, which reflected maximum daily assignments of more than 4,000 officers, while costs for the vice-president’s trip were approximately £3 million.

Large-Scale Policing Operation

This extensive policing operation was the biggest in Scotland since the passing of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, and involved local officers, specialist units, volunteer officers and wider UK colleagues for expert assistance.

Robison wrote: "Following your choice not to offer financial support to Scotland for costs accrued in connection with the visit of Donald Trump to Scotland in July 2025 and the subsequent visit of Vice-President Vance, I am contacting you to ask that you reconsider this stance and provide complete repayment for the expense of the visits."

UK Government Reply and Previous Example

The British administration maintained that the trips were private and "not part of official government duties." A spokesperson added: "The Scottish government must cover security expenses in the country as per established funding agreements for devolved matters."

While the Finance Secretary referenced past instances where the UK government covered the expense of Trump’s 2018 visit to Scotland, it is understood that trip came after a formal UK government invitation, in which instance it included security costs under its statement of funding policy.

"Westminster must take action and pay. I think it’s unreasonable, it was obviously a work visit … Particularly when you have the PM Sir Keir meeting with Donald Trump, having press conferences with him, conducting global diplomacy with them, its really stretching the bounds of credibility to say this was merely a private holiday trip."