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The British administration is being urged to "step up" and cover the £24.5 million cost incurred during recent visits by former President Trump and Vice-President Vance to Scotland, according to a senior Holyrood official.

Significant Provisional Costs Disclosed

Provisional expenses totalling nearly £24.5m for the pair of working visits have been made public by the Scottish government.

Public Finance Minister McKee labeled the Westminster's unwillingness to offer financial support as "ridiculous," stating that both trips were obviously work-related, noting that the American leader held discussions with European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen and UK prime minister Keir Starmer during his July visit in the northern nation.

Particulars of the Trips and Related Security Expenses

The former president toured his golfing resorts at Turnberry and Menie in Aberdeenshire over a week-long trip in July, while American VP Vance spent approximately four days in Ayrshire in August.

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

The Edinburgh administration calculates that the estimated expense for securing the presidential visit alone was £21 million, which reflected maximum daily assignments of more than four thousand police, while expenses for the VP's visit were approximately £3 million.

Large-Scale Policing Operation

This extensive policing operation was the largest in Scotland since the death of the late Queen in 2022, and involved local officers, specialist units, volunteer officers and officers from across the UK for expert assistance.

The Finance Secretary wrote: "After your choice not to provide funding to the Scottish government for costs accrued in relation to the trip of President Donald Trump to Scotland in July 2025 and the following trip of Vice-President JD Vance, I am contacting you to request that you review this stance and provide full reimbursement for the expense of the trips."

UK Government Response and Past Precedent

The British administration stated that the visits were personal and "not part of official government duties." A representative commented: "The Scottish government must cover security expenses in Scotland as per established funding agreements for devolved matters."

While the Finance Secretary referenced previous precedent where the British administration covered the expense of the president's 2018 trip to the nation, it is understood that visit followed a official UK government invitation, in which case it covered security costs 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 … Particularly when you have the prime minister Keir Starmer meeting with Donald Trump, holding joint briefings with him, engaging in global diplomacy with him, its really stretching the bounds of credibility to say this was merely a personal vacation."