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The British administration is being called upon to "take responsibility" and cover the £24.5 million cost incurred during the recent trips by Donald Trump and JD Vance to Scotland, according to a senior Holyrood official.

Substantial Estimated Expenses Revealed

Preliminary costs amounting to almost £24.5m for the two working visits have been published by the administration in Edinburgh.

Ivan McKee labeled the UK government's unwillingness to offer financial support as "ridiculous," stating that both trips were obviously official, noting that the US president held meetings with EU Commission president the EU's von der Leyen and British PM Keir Starmer during his summer visit in Scotland.

Particulars of the Trips and Associated Security Expenses

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

In a written communication to the Treasury minister Chief Secretary Murray, Scotland’s finance secretary stated that the trips placed "significant strains and costs on public services in Scotland, particularly the Scottish police force."

The Scottish government calculates that the estimated expense for policing the presidential visit by itself was £21 million, which involved maximum daily assignments of more than 4,000 officers, while expenses for the vice-president’s trip were about £3m.

Large-Scale Policing Operation

This complex security mission was the biggest in the country since the death of the late Queen in 2022, and involved regional police, specialist units, special constables and officers from across the UK for specialist support.

The Finance Secretary wrote: "Following your choice not to offer financial support to the Scottish government for costs accrued in relation to the visit of President Donald Trump to the nation in July 2025 and the subsequent visit of VP Vance, I am writing you to request that you review this stance and offer complete repayment for the expense of the visits."

Westminster Response and Previous Example

The British administration stated that the trips were personal and "not official UK government business." A spokesperson commented: "The Scottish government must cover security expenses in Scotland as per established funding agreements for devolved matters."

While the Finance Secretary pointed to previous precedent where the UK government reimbursed the cost of Trump’s 2018 visit to Scotland, it is believed that trip came after a formal UK government invitation, in which instance it included protection expenses under its statement of funding policy.

"The UK government needs to step up and cover the cost. I think it’s ridiculous, it was clearly a official trip … Especially when you have the prime minister Keir Starmer meeting with Donald Trump, having press conferences with him, engaging in global diplomacy with him, its really hard to believe to say this was just a personal vacation."