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The British administration is being urged to "step up" and reimburse the £24.5m expense incurred during the recent trips by Donald Trump and JD Vance to Scotland, according to a senior Holyrood official.

Substantial Provisional Costs Revealed

Provisional costs 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 refusal to provide funding as "absurd," arguing that both trips were clearly official, pointing out that the US president held meetings with EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer during his summer visit in the northern nation.

Details of the Visits and Related Security Expenses

The former president toured his golfing resorts at Turnberry in Ayrshire and Menie in Aberdeenshire over a week-long trip in July, while US vice-president Vance spent around a long weekend in the Ayrshire region in August.

In a formal letter to the Treasury minister James Murray, Scotland’s finance secretary stated that the visits placed "substantial operational and financial burdens on public services in Scotland, especially the Scottish police force."

The Edinburgh administration estimates that the estimated expense for policing the presidential visit alone was £21 million, which involved peak daily deployments of more than 4,000 officers, while costs for the vice-president’s trip were approximately £3m.

Large-Scale Security Mission

This complex policing operation was the largest in the country since the passing of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, and involved local officers, national divisions, special constables and wider UK colleagues for specialist support.

The Finance Secretary stated: "Following your decision not to offer financial support to Scotland for expenses accrued in connection with the visit of President Donald Trump to the nation in summer 2025 and the following trip of VP JD Vance, I am writing you to request that you review this decision and offer full reimbursement for the cost of the trips."

UK Government Response and Past Precedent

The UK government maintained that the trips were private and "not part of official government duties." A representative added: "Holyrood are responsible for security expenses in Scotland as per agreed funding agreements for devolved matters."

While Robison referenced previous precedent where the British administration covered the cost of Trump’s 2018 visit to the nation, it is believed that trip came after a official UK government invitation, in which case it covered protection expenses under its statement of funding policy.

"Westminster must take action and cover the cost. I think it’s unreasonable, it was obviously a work visit … Particularly when you have the PM Sir Keir meeting with the president, having press conferences with them, engaging in international business with him, its really hard to believe to say this was just a private holiday trip."