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The British administration is being urged to "take responsibility" and cover the £24.5 million expense incurred during recent visits by Donald Trump and JD Vance to Scotland, according to a senior Scottish minister.

Substantial Provisional Costs Revealed

Preliminary expenses amounting to almost £24.5 million for the two working visits have been made public by the Scottish government.

Public Finance Minister McKee described the Westminster's unwillingness to offer financial support as "ridiculous," stating that both trips were obviously official, noting that the American leader held discussions with EU Commission president the EU's von der Leyen and UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer during his July stay in the northern nation.

Details of the Visits and Associated Security Expenses

Donald Trump toured his golfing resorts at Turnberry and Menie over a week-long period in the summer, while US vice-president JD Vance spent around four days in Ayrshire in August.

In a written communication to the Treasury minister James Murray, Scotland’s finance secretary wrote that the trips placed "substantial operational and financial burdens on public services in Scotland, especially the Scottish police force."

The Scottish government estimates that the provisional cost for securing the president's trip by itself was £21m, which reflected peak daily deployments of over 4,000 officers, while costs for the VP's visit were about £3m.

Complex Policing Operation

This complex security mission was the biggest in Scotland since the death of the late Queen in 2022, and involved local officers, specialist units, special constables and officers from across the UK for expert assistance.

Robison wrote: "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 July 2025 and the following trip of Vice-President JD Vance, I am writing you to request that you reconsider this decision and provide full reimbursement for the expense of the visits."

UK Government Reply and Past Precedent

The UK government stated that the trips were private and "not part of official government duties." A spokesperson commented: "The Scottish government are responsible for security expenses in the country as per established funding agreements for devolved matters."

While Robison referenced 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 formal invitation from Westminster, in which instance 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 clearly a work visit … Especially when you have the PM Sir Keir meeting with the president, holding joint briefings with him, conducting global diplomacy with him, its really hard to believe to say this was merely a private holiday trip."