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The UK government is being called upon to "step up" and cover the £24.5 million cost incurred during recent trips by former President Trump and JD Vance to Scotland, according to a senior Scottish minister.

Significant Estimated Expenses Revealed

Provisional costs totalling almost £24.5m for the pair of official trips have been published by the Scottish government.

Ivan McKee labeled the Westminster's unwillingness to provide funding as "ridiculous," arguing that both visits were clearly official, pointing out that the American leader held discussions with European Union chief the EU's von der Leyen and British PM Sir Keir Starmer during his summer stay in Scotland.

Particulars of the Visits and Associated Policing Costs

The former president visited his golfing resorts 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 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 Scottish public services, especially Police Scotland."

The Scottish government estimates that the estimated expense for securing the presidential visit by itself was £21m, which reflected maximum daily assignments of more than four thousand police, while costs for the VP's visit were approximately £3 million.

Large-Scale Policing Operation

This complex policing operation was the largest in Scotland since the passing of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, and involved local officers, national divisions, volunteer officers and officers from across the UK for expert assistance.

The Finance Secretary stated: "After your choice not to offer financial support to Scotland for costs accrued in relation to the visit of Donald Trump to Scotland in summer 2025 and the following trip of Vice-President Vance, I am contacting you to ask that you review this stance and provide full reimbursement for the expense of the visits."

UK Government Reply and Previous Example

The British administration 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 devolved funding arrangements."

While the Finance Secretary pointed to past instances where the UK government reimbursed the cost of the president's 2018 trip to Scotland, it is believed that trip followed a formal invitation from Westminster, in which case it included security costs under its statement of funding policy.

"The UK government must take action and pay. I think it’s ridiculous, it was obviously a official trip … Especially when you have the prime minister Sir Keir meeting with the president, having press conferences with him, conducting global diplomacy with him, its really hard to believe to say this was merely a private holiday trip."