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The British administration is being urged to "step up" and cover the £24.5 million expense incurred during the recent trips by former President Trump and JD Vance to Scotland, according to a top Scottish minister.

Significant Provisional Costs Disclosed

Provisional expenses amounting to nearly £24.5m for the two official trips have been made public by the administration in Edinburgh.

Ivan McKee described the Westminster's unwillingness to provide funding as "absurd," stating that both trips were clearly work-related, noting that the US president held discussions with EU Commission president the EU's von der Leyen and British PM Sir Keir Starmer during his summer stay in the northern nation.

Details of the Visits and Associated Security Expenses

The former president toured his golfing resorts at Turnberry and Menie over a week-long trip in the summer, while US vice-president Vance spent approximately four days in Ayrshire in August.

In a written communication to the Treasury’s chief secretary Chief Secretary Murray, Finance Secretary Shona Robison stated that the visits placed "significant strains and costs on Scottish public services, particularly Police Scotland."

The Edinburgh administration estimates that the provisional cost for securing the president's trip by itself was £21m, 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 policing operation was the largest in Scotland since the passing of the late Queen in 2022, and included local officers, specialist units, special constables and wider UK colleagues for specialist support.

Robison stated: "After your decision not to offer financial support to the Scottish government for costs incurred in relation to the trip of Donald Trump to Scotland in summer 2025 and the subsequent visit of VP Vance, I am contacting you to request that you reconsider this stance and offer complete repayment for the expense of the trips."

UK Government Response and Past Precedent

The British administration maintained that the visits were private and "not official UK government business." A representative added: "Holyrood must cover security expenses in the country as per agreed devolved funding arrangements."

While Robison pointed to past instances where the British administration covered the cost 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 protection expenses under its funding guidelines.

"Westminster needs to step up and pay. I think it’s ridiculous, it was obviously a official trip … Particularly when you have the prime minister Sir Keir spending time with Donald Trump, having press conferences with him, engaging in international business with them, its really stretching the bounds of credibility to say this was just a personal vacation."