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The British administration is being urged to "take responsibility" and cover the £24.5m cost incurred during recent trips by Donald Trump and JD Vance to the Scottish nation, according to a top Scottish minister.

Significant Estimated Expenses Revealed

Provisional costs totalling almost £24.5m for the two official trips have been published by the Scottish government.

Public Finance Minister McKee labeled the UK government's unwillingness to offer financial support as "absurd," arguing that both trips were clearly work-related, noting that the US president held discussions with European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen and UK prime minister Keir Starmer during his July visit in the northern nation.

Particulars of the Trips and Associated Security Expenses

The former president toured his golfing resorts at Turnberry and Menie over a five-day trip in July, while American VP JD Vance spent approximately a long weekend in Ayrshire in August.

In a formal letter to the Treasury minister Chief Secretary Murray, Finance Secretary Shona Robison wrote that the trips placed "significant strains and costs on public services in Scotland, particularly Police Scotland."

The Scottish government estimates that the provisional cost for securing the presidential visit alone was £21 million, which involved maximum daily assignments of over 4,000 officers, while expenses for the VP's visit were about £3m.

Large-Scale Security Mission

This extensive security mission was the biggest 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 expert assistance.

Robison wrote: "After your decision not to provide funding to the Scottish government for expenses accrued in connection with the visit of President Donald Trump to Scotland in summer 2025 and the subsequent trip of Vice-President JD Vance, I am writing you to request that you reconsider this decision and provide full reimbursement for the expense of the visits."

Westminster Reply and Past Precedent

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

While Robison pointed to past instances where the British administration covered the expense of Trump’s 2018 visit to Scotland, it is believed that visit came after a formal invitation from Westminster, in which instance it covered protection expenses under its funding guidelines.

"Westminster must take action and cover the cost. I think it’s ridiculous, it was clearly a work visit … Especially when you have the prime minister Keir Starmer spending time with Donald Trump, having press conferences with them, engaging in global diplomacy with him, its really hard to believe to say this was just a personal vacation."