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The UK government is being urged to "take responsibility" and cover the £24.5 million cost incurred during recent trips by former President Trump and Vice-President Vance to Scotland, according to a top Scottish minister.

Significant Estimated Expenses Disclosed

Provisional costs amounting to nearly £24.5 million for the pair of official trips have been made public 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 work-related, pointing out that the American leader held discussions with European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen and British PM Keir Starmer during his July stay in Scotland.

Particulars of the Trips and Associated Policing Costs

The former president visited his golf courses at Turnberry in Ayrshire and Menie over a week-long period in the summer, while US vice-president Vance spent approximately a long weekend in Ayrshire in August.

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

The Edinburgh administration estimates that the estimated expense for policing the president's trip alone was £21m, which involved peak daily deployments of more than 4,000 officers, while expenses for the VP's visit were about £3 million.

Large-Scale Policing Operation

This complex security mission was the largest in Scotland since the death of the late Queen in 2022, and involved regional police, national divisions, volunteer officers and wider UK colleagues for expert assistance.

The Finance Secretary stated: "After your decision not to provide funding to Scotland for expenses accrued in relation to the visit of President Donald Trump to Scotland in July 2025 and the subsequent trip of VP Vance, I am writing you to ask that you review this decision and provide complete repayment for the expense of the trips."

Westminster Response and Previous Example

The UK government maintained that the trips were personal and "not part of official government duties." A spokesperson commented: "Holyrood are responsible for security expenses in Scotland as per established devolved funding arrangements."

While Robison pointed to past instances where the UK government covered the cost of the president's 2018 trip to the nation, it is believed that visit followed a official invitation from Westminster, in which instance it covered security costs under its statement of funding policy.

"The UK government needs to step up and pay. I think it’s unreasonable, it was obviously a official trip … 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."