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

Substantial Provisional Costs Revealed

Provisional expenses totalling almost £24.5 million for the two working visits have been made public by the administration in Edinburgh.

Public Finance Minister McKee labeled the UK government's unwillingness to offer financial support as "absurd," arguing that both trips were obviously official, pointing out that the American leader held meetings with European Union chief the EU's von der Leyen and British PM Keir Starmer during his July stay in Scotland.

Particulars of the Visits and Associated Security Expenses

Donald Trump toured his golfing resorts at Turnberry and Menie over a five-day trip in the summer, while US vice-president Vance spent around four days 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 operational and financial burdens on public services in Scotland, particularly the Scottish police force."

The Edinburgh administration estimates that the provisional cost for securing the presidential visit by itself was £21 million, which involved peak daily deployments of over 4,000 officers, while expenses for the vice-president’s trip were approximately £3 million.

Complex Security Mission

This extensive policing operation was the largest in Scotland since the death of the late Queen in 2022, and included local officers, specialist units, volunteer officers and wider UK colleagues for specialist support.

The Finance Secretary wrote: "After your decision not to offer financial support to Scotland for expenses incurred in relation to the trip of President Donald Trump to Scotland in July 2025 and the subsequent trip of VP JD Vance, I am writing you to request that you review this decision and offer complete repayment for the cost of the visits."

UK Government Reply and Previous Example

The British administration maintained that the trips were private and "not official UK government business." A spokesperson commented: "The Scottish government are responsible for policing costs in Scotland as per agreed funding agreements for devolved matters."

While the Finance Secretary pointed to past instances where the British administration reimbursed the cost of the president's 2018 trip to the nation, it is believed that visit came after a official UK government invitation, in which instance it covered security costs under its funding guidelines.

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